Secrets of the Manor
by Angel Anastasia
Summary: A charming pyschopath comes across the BAU who are working on his case. Bad turns to worse when he decides that they are worthy enough to be "invited" into his house. Warnings: torture, non-con, language. No pairings
1. Chapter 1

_Hi guys! First Criminal Minds story that I have ever written so please be gentle. This is just the first chapter so it will start speeding up once I am done with introductions. I don't own Criminal Minds!_

**The Secrets of the Manor**

The heat was turned on downstairs, and kept those in the dining area warm from stormy weather outside. It was a rather large house, a mansion in lack of a better term, and it was easier to keep the room being used at any given time heated rather than warm up the entire house. A man with shiny black hair sat at the end of a large table, and was just finishing up his dinner. A younger woman stood next to him with her hands folded in front of her while another servant waited for orders by the kitchen door.

The handsome man took a bite of meat, and sighed as the meat slid down his throat. He set the fork back down, and looked at the woman standing next to him.

"Do have a seat my dear. I just hate having supper all by myself."

He motioned to one of the chairs next to him, and after glancing at the silent servant by the door, she sat down. She did not make eye contact, and kept her hands in her lap.

"So tell me, Maria, what was one of your childhood dreams? I am sure that you have had many, but what is the dream that stood out the strongest?"

He put another piece of meat in his mouth, and slowly chewed it as he waited for her to answer. Meat was truly his favorite food. He would never understand how some people could just give up meat all together. His parents were never fond of meat, and most of the foods he ate while he was growing up reminded him of leaves.

"Um, I wanted to be a painter." Even as she answered, her focus was on her lap. He did not mind, but his gaze never left her face.

"Is there a specific reason why you wanted to be an artist? When I was little, I wanted to be a famous director." He had given up on that dream long ago when his parents scoffed at that idea. His father wanted him to be a doctor which would give him a steady income, and a career that would never go out of style.

"I've just always liked to draw. I guess it's my thing. Drawing brings me to my happy place, and I love the satisfaction that it brings. I can look back at my painting, and be proud that I made that. Mama has about 50 of my paintings in her living room. She's my biggest fan." He watched her lips form a little smile thinking about her mother, but she quickly regained the stiff posture that she had before. He closed his dark eyes, and took a small sip of wine from his glass before looking back at her.

"And what is your biggest fear? Were you afraid of the dark or of spiders? Are you more afraid of flames than the ocean? Which of your parents would only speak to you when they had hurtful things to say? How did this make you feel?" He had set the fork down, and focused all of his attention on the increasingly uncomfortable woman.

"I, um-". A large buzzing sound interrupted her, and a look of thankfulness washed across her features.

He patted his napkin to each sides of his mouth, and slowly rose from the table. "I am so sorry my dear, but duty calls. We will have to continue this conversation sometime soon. And Markus," he said gesturing to the quiet man at the door. "I will have my tea in one hour. Have a good evening Maria."

He did not turn back around when he heard Maria start to gather up his plates. He pulled out a pair of keys as he climbed the white marble stairs, and started to whistle one of the tunes that he had heard on the radio earlier. He despised the large staircase, and he had to keep reminding himself that exercise was good for him. He had an elevator installed earlier that year in the game room, but that was quite a walk from the dining hall so stairs was the logical choice.

His heart was pounding when he finally reached the top of the staircase, but he did not stop to catch his breath. He opened the first door on his left which led to another staircase which looped its way to the third level of the mansion. Out of habit, he counted each step as he climbed. Sometimes, it was nice to hear a voice next to the creaky staircase. He was glad when he got to the top, and he put one of the brass keys into the lock. He let himself in, and locked the door behind him.

This led him to a private wing of the house. The walls were a deep shade of brown, and the warmth that could be felt in the rest of the house was gone. His parent's staff told him that these were once the rooms of convicted felons as they awaited trial in the early 18th century. While he never looked into it, he had no doubt. There was no life within these walls, and there were no windows to invite the sunshine in.

He started whistling again as he opened the first door he saw. Another key was placed in the lock, and the door creaked as it was pushed aside. There was a wooden bed in the center of the room, and a small video camera was installed into one of the walls. In the right corner of the room, a young man hung from chains in the ceiling. He was naked, and had a long gash going from his chest down to his groin. His wide eyes were focused on the blood that was still dripping to his feet.

He put on a pair of rubber gloves before he approached the man hanging from the wall. He slid his finger across the wound, and up the young man's neck. It was truly a shame that this man was now dead when the fun had just begun. He dabbed his finger in the wet blood, and licked the blood off his finger. It was sweet to the taste, and he was happy that he had found such a useful object to play with. He debated against cutting the boy loose of his chains, but chose to let him stay where he was. He would have to call Markus up later to dispose of the trash before it started to stink, but he would deal with that when the time came.

He locked the door behind him as he ventured into the next room from the hallway. The set up was similar to the first room, but this room had more toys to play with that he kept in a book shelf next to the door. He had been gathering his toys for years now, and he had still not been able to play with all of them. His playthings never lasted that long, and he cursed the human body for being so weak.

Another young man was kept in this room, but this one was laying spread eagle on the hard table. He nonchalantly walked over to the bed, and smiled when he saw that the boy was still breathing lightly. He didn't move as the handsome man ran his gloved finger across his legs or when he pinched the boy's inner thighs. This plaything would not last more than another day. He kissed the younger man on the cheek before leaving and locking the door behind him.

The last room in the dark hallway led to the biggest of the three rooms. He had a strong lighting system installed along with a superb radio that played calming music which put him at ease. A leather arm chair sat next to the wooden bed in the room, and a stone fireplace had a fire going at all times to give the room a sense of warmth. A pretty young woman was crying in a fetal position underneath the table. Her ankles and wrists had been tied up, but she was virtually unharmed. When she saw him, she tried to scream through the gags in her mouth and started to scoot to the far side of the room.

"Oh Samantha, please be quiet. I cannot hear the music." He closed his eyes, and smiled as the music filled his ears. "Isn't this just lovely? I could listen to this all day long. Did you know that classical music could raise your IQ?" The soothing music brought him back to older times when he had little else to worry about other than what he wanted for dinner that night. He paid no attention to the girl until she started to scream again through the rags in her mouth. Why did she have to ruin the moment?

"Is this truly necessary my dear? We are just getting to know one another, but you cannot let me get a word in edgewise. Our relationship is off to a rocky start, but I am willing to give you another chance." He walked along the wall, and pulled a pair of pliers from the shelf. This was one of his favorites simply because it was made with real silver instead of the imitation. Being a Leo, he always did enjoy the finer things in life. He would never even touch something that was less than perfection in his eyes, and all of the guests that he invited into his home had to meet certain qualifications. Their looks would have to be more than appealing to the eye, and be able to offer some kind of conversation to the man of the house. He was bored so easily these days, and it was always more difficult for him to make friends.

He calmly walked over to the young girl, and bent down close to her. Her green eyes were wet with tears, and he could see her body shaking with fear. "Let us start over again. My name is Harold." Harold brushed some of her blonde hair out of her face, and removed the gag from her mouth. She opened her mouth to scream when he grabbed a hold of her jaw, and forced her mouth all the way open. He shoved the pliers into her mouth, and clamped them onto her tongue. With one simple movement, he ripped the tongue out of her mouth. Horrified screams started to fill the room as he examined the tongue on his pliers. He took no notice of the blood streaming out of her mouth or as her hands went to her face to protect herself from further damage.

The tongue really was an interesting muscle. It was one of the strongest parts of the human body, but it was so small in size. This piece of meat caused so much hatred and violence in the world depending on which words that were spoken with it. He slipped on another pair of gloves, and ran his fingers across the limp muscle taking in its texture and shape. Maybe this would be something that little Timothy would like. Timothy was his Shih-Tzu that he had bought from a breeder a few years ago. He took the dog with him when he attended various events and fundraisers. Not only was the dog a celebrity which gave both of them more attention that they could have dreamed of, the dog was a constant companion. Timothy would never judge him or make fun of him. Timothy accepted Harold for who he was, and that was more than he could say about most of the people in the world.

People were so quick to judge others, and while Harold accepted that this was part of their nature, he hated them for it. He never liked people who thought that they were better than everyone else, and being as wealthy as he was, he knew a lot of people like that. They thought that they were higher than other people either because of their money or because of their genius, but Harold knew that people were all exactly alike where it mattered. Human beings were all just bags of bones with blood and meat inside of them to keep them alive. All of them had sexual urges in one way or another, and all of them had it inside of them to hurt another. People truly disgusted him, and he hated to think about his own mortality and his own urges that he got when he looked upon someone he found attractive. When he was younger, he was able to control the urges that he got when his hormones kicked in. He wasn't sure what the exact moment was when he lost this control, or when he started bringing in guests to live out his sexual fantasies that he would never be able to do in the real world. It didn't really matter. The people he chose to live with him in these walls were learning that they were just as human as anyone else, and he was able to satisfy the needs that his body demanded.

Disposing of the bodies was never a problem. He always left them where the family would be able to find them, and so the family could do with the corpse what they wanted. He never caused more destruction to the body after it was dead. He saw no need. He never forgot a single one of his guests though. He could recite their biography in five minutes or less. Along with his extensive research on his extended family, he also had the videos that he made of them during their stay. He kept the tapes of his friends in alphabetical order in the master bedroom. He would be able to look back and remember whenever he felt the need. The tapes were rarely looked at because he always had his room full with new guests to entertain. Female visitors were few and far in between. He always found that he had more fun with his male friends, but he never questioned why. Once again, it didn't matter. All that really mattered was that he felt better by the time his guests left, and that he was always in the shape for more company.

He was forced out of his train of thought when he felt something biting the back of his foot. He looked down and saw Samantha, blood dripping out of her mouth, biting his heel. He picked her up by the hair on her head, and threw her back across the room. He saw her hit her head on the side of the table, and she fell to the ground. She stopped moving, and he walked over to her. She truly was a pretty girl, but she wasn't his type. She only child of a well known lawyer in the next town over, and he was sure that she would be missed. It wouldn't be long before the news stations started doing reports on her, and her father would be begging for her safe return. Parents only loved their children when there was a chance that they would never see that child again. It was almost laughable to watch the parents shed their crocodile tears as the reporters bombarded them with questions.

Harold put the tongue into a small container, and after cleaning off the pliers with the rag from Samantha's mouth, he put the pliers back in their place. A clean home was a happy home. It wouldn't be long before the police started flooding the town where Samantha lived, and he looked forward to that. He was tired of watching the same people day after day. Bringing law enforcement from other towns would bring some excited to his daily schedule, and he couldn't wait to make some new friends. He would have to remind Markus to make him an appointment in the town so he would be the first to see the arrival of the outside police. Markus was never fond of strangers in the house, but he would have to get used to it. Timothy loved meeting all of the girls that Harold found for him. The girls always seemed calmer when Timothy was around, but that never worked for the boys.

"Good night, dear Samantha. We shall play more in the morning." She didn't budge, but that didn't faze Harold. She would be alright to talk when the sun rose. He put the small container in his breast pocket, and locked the door behind him as he left. After walking through the maze of doors and staircases, he was back in the main quarters of the house. He knew that he would sleep well tonight with Timothy at his side. The television was already on when he got to his room, and a hot cup of tea was by his bed. He smiled to himself, and thanked God that he was given such a caring staff. Timothy was already fast asleep, and Harold made sure to be as quiet as could as he slipped his pajamas on. After getting in bed, and having a sip of his tea, he was able to concentrate on the news broadcast.

"Samantha Huntington, 19, was kidnapped sometime yesterday between 3pm and 5pm. While it has not been confirmed, police fear that it is the work of a local serial killer. The serial killer is the suspect for at least fifteen murders in the past month. The FBI has already been called in to help with the case. Samantha is about 5'6 with blonde hair and green eyes. She was last seen walking towards a friend's house wearing blue jeans and a pink tank top. If anyone has seen her, they are urged to call the police immediately." Harold turned the television off, and stretched his legs out in the bed. He wasn't expecting the FBI so soon. This could become a lot more exciting than he had thought.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi guys! I'm getting really good reviews on the story, and so I decided to post the second chapter tonight. I don't know where exactly the story is going, and it's just kind of writing itself at this point. I'm always up for any suggestions to put into the next chapter, or if there is anything that you guys want to happen during the course of the story, just tell me. I'll see if I could put it in the story somewhere. I can tell you that bad stuff is probably going to happen to more than one of the BAU members, and that is coming up pretty soon. I kind of like Harold. He is going to be a fun character to work with. And keep reviewing! The reviews keep me happy and keep me writing. =)_

"The police are currently searching for a serial killer that is being blamed for at least fifteen murders," J.J. started. Photos of the murdered were on the big screen while the team looked over the case file.

"At least fifteen?" Morgan asked. That was quite a large number of people, and as he looked over the screen, the victims looked nothing alike.

"Well, three more people are still missing. Zach Cunningham, 28, went missing three days ago. Clayton Morris, 32, went missing two days ago. And Samantha went missing yesterday. She is only 19." Three smiling faces of the missing went up on the screen. "The only thing that the police say that they have in common is that they all went missing around the same area of town."

"And what conditions were the bodies in when they were found?" Prentiss asked after putting down the files.

"The bodies were all found near the victim's house or where they worked. All of the victims were tortured and raped before they were killed. Some of them were strangled, others were burned, and one was even beheading so the exact method of death varied from victim to victim."

Reid put the files down, and looked at the rest of his team. He never liked looking at the photos of the people who were murdered. Every now and then, he would still get the horrific flashbacks of the short time that he spent with Henkle. His team had helped him get over his drug addiction, and they had talked to him about his nightmares. They did not know about his flashbacks, and he chose not to tell them. He did not need to worry them anymore when they had more important issues to focus on. "It looks like there are more male victims than female victims."

"Plane in half an hour everyone. It says that the bodies of the victims are found a week after they go missing. We are running out of time if we want to find Samantha." Hotch quickly said as he gathered up the papers off the table. Reid watched the team file out of the room before slipping his file into his bag. He looked back at the pictures of the three missing people on the screen, and felt his stomach drop. He had some idea of what they were growing through, what they would go through, and it made him sick inside.

"You coming kid?" Morgan poked his head through the doorway, and snapped Reid out of his thoughts. Reid closed his bag, and walked over to Morgan.

"Yeah, do you think we will find them in time?"

Morgan looked back at the screen, and back at Reid. "I hope so, but we can't find them unless you hurry up. We need that genius brain of yours with us. I'm sure that these people will need to see a shrink the second they get out of that hospital."

Reid smiled, and slipped the straps of his bag over his head. "According to statistics, did you know that women are 37% more likely to go see a psychologist than men are? Men would be more likely to-"

"Ok Reid. I'm going to have to push you off the plane if you don't stop it with the statistic thing. Normal people just aren't supposed to know this kind of stuff." Morgan gave Reid a playful shove, and laughed when Reid almost fell over. Reid was never very comfortable on his feet, and it was harder to keep balance with that heavy bag over his shoulder.

Two books had fallen out his bag, and Reid had to move the hair out of his face before he could find where they fell. Morgan walked off to join the others, and Reid knew that he was going to tell them Reid had no sense of balance. Morgan was always telling the others secrets that Reid confided in him or silly things that Reid did. Reid couldn't complain though. Morgan was the closest thing to family that Reid ever really had. He had no siblings, and he grew up never having a single friend to talk to. Reid was grateful that he was given a family at the FBI, and he would not give them up for anything in the world.

The plane ride there was uneventful as Hotch reviewed the case in more detail. The youngest victim up to date was Samantha who had just turned 19 a few months ago, and the oldest victim recorded was in his 60s so there was a large age gap. The unsub did not focus on any particular race, but most of his victims were Caucasian. Most of them had darker hair, and they were either average or thin in their weight. As Reid pointed out earlier, there were more male victims than female victims. Some of them were rich while others did not have a dime to their name. When compared side by side, they seemed like random choices.

"So he kidnaps them, takes them to some kind of location like a house or shed, and then he tortures them. Were they all kidnapped from outside?" Morgan asked.

"No, that's the strange thing. Some of them were taken from inside their house while others were taken from parks, neighborhoods, and at least one was kidnapped from a store parking lot. They were also taken from different times of day. Only a few of them went missing at night."

"So our unsub is confident. He knows what he wants, and he's isn't afraid to go after it," Morgan concluded.

"Do you think that he knows his victims? They seem random to us, but maybe they were special to him. Friends maybe?" Rossi asked.

Reid was going through the files again. He wanted to have all the facts down before they landed so he could concentrate on finding the three missing alive.

"Or maybe he just watched them for some time? None of the victims worked together, lived near each other, and apparently none of them knew each other. The odds of them having the same plumber, house worker, or even the same friend are unlikely. Either the victims were completely random or the unsub stalked them to learn their daily schedules and routines. Both of these scenarios could be likely, but I think we will have to look at the crime scenes and talk to the families before we can make any conclusions," Hotch said. "Reid and J.J. can go talk to Samantha's father. Rossi and Prentiss, go meet with the police at the station. I'll go with Morgan to the morgue to look at the bodies. I'm thinking that maybe the unsub left a clue behind that the police missed in their investigation. Just because of the sadistic nature of this unsub; I don't any of us going anywhere alone. If I can make one assumption looking at these records alone, the unsub preys on people who are alone. We aren't going to give him that chance."

The team got back to looking over the files as the plane started to land. They really had not made any real conclusions about their unsub except that he would be armed and dangerous when he finally was caught. Reid put down the photos of the victims, and stared at the window as the ground got closer and closer. They were entering the unsub's territory, and Reid could only wonder what to expect. Each case brought him closer and closer to the monsters that hid in the back of his mind. He spoke the truth when he said that he was afraid of his own mind. The bad guys that they hunted for were sometimes just normal people that were put under circumstances they just couldn't handle. What was their breaking point? Were all of the monsters that they chased hopeless cases or were some just scared people lost in their own minds?

Reid didn't say much as J.J. drove them to the victim's house. Samantha lived at home with her father while she went to school. She worked a part time job in retail, and she was doing well in all of her classes. She hung out with her friends on the weekend, and helped out her father around the house. Her file stated that her mother died while giving birth to her.

"She's all I have, you know? She's my baby girl. Is this guy going to make a ransom note or something? I have money. I'll give him whatever he wants. Please, help me." The older man buried his face in his hands, and cried softly. J.J. nervously cleared her throat, and looked up at Reid who was looking around the house. It was a very nice house with family pictures above the fireplace, and awards that Samantha had won in school hung in frames over the walls. Everything was clean, and Reid didn't notice anything out of place.

"No one has mentioned any ransom yet. If something changes, you'll be the first to know Mr. Huntington. Could you tell us about your daughter?" J.J. said. The distraught father looked up at the two agents, and Reid noticed that he looked a lot like his daughter. They had the same blonde hair, and striking green eyes. His hands were sweating, and this confirmed for Reid that this man had nothing to do with the disappearance of his daughter. They really had a serial killer on their hands, and they were quickly running out of time to save Samantha and the others.

"She's funny, smart, and she has about a million friends. Everyone loves my baby. After school, she would always runs home just to help me around the house. I don't think I'm ever home enough though, but she never complains. She's so pretty too. She looks just like her mother," he said. He picked up a picture of Samantha off of the side table, and handed it to Reid who was standing beside him. Samantha was smiling ear to ear in the photo as she posed on the track in her cheerleading outfit. J.J. was losing Mr. Huntington fast though as he started to sob again.

"We will find your daughter Mr. Huntington. We just want you to promise us that you will not make any rash decisions during our investigation. We will be doing another interview with the press this afternoon. I assure you that we are doing everything in our power to get Samantha back to you." J.J. put her hands on top of the shaken man, and smiled at him.

"Just one more question," Reid said quietly. He held up a small bracelet with a gold chain. Little ruby flowers decorated the simple chain. Reid found it only a few feet away from the house, but it did not look like it had just fallen off someone. The bracelet was missing piece from the delicate design, like it had been ripped off someone's wrist. "Did this belong to Samantha?" Reid watched the father crumple back into his hands, and Reid had the answer to his question.

"Was it really necessary to ask him about that bracelet? He's a train wreck of emotions already. I don't think he can take much more. She was all he had," J.J. said.

Reid turned the air conditioner on high in the SUV as J.J. sped through traffic. Reid was never afraid of her driving, but he did prefer one of the older agents driving. They seemed to mind the speed limit more than J.J. or Morgan did. "This bracelet was ripped off of somebody, and that means that the unsub didn't want it. This looks like it is worth a lot of money. If the unsub didn't want it, he is not in it for money. My guess is that he has money. He must be well off or has a job that gives him a steady income."

He handed J.J. the bracelet and watched as she ran it through her fingers. "This would be very expensive, and Samantha never left the house without it. She didn't talk to strangers, and the only people she ever talked to her were classmates from school. I don't think she knew the unsub Reid. The bracelet was probably ripped off of her in the attack. She was walking to her friend's house, and somebody just grabbed her off the sidewalk."

Reid nodded in agreement. "The unsub is probably also male. Males don't care much for jewelry, expensive or not. He would be bigger than Samantha, and so he was able to grab her without any real problems."

"So we are looking for a rich guy? I guess that narrows down our search a bit," J.J. said with a laugh. "I just wonder why Hotch is so paranoid about this unsub in particular. We've dealt with all kinds of unsubs before. What makes this guy so different? Hotch never made us use this buddy system before."

Reid shrugged. That thought had crossed his mind. Why was Hotch acting different with this unsub in particular? "Maybe Hotch just doesn't want to meet with this guy? His methods of torture are fascinating." Reid held up a picture of one of the first victims so he could see it better with the sunlight. He was happier not knowing which victim this was, and he didn't want to know. Looking at a nameless corpse was easier without knowing that this was a person that had a family who cared for them. While the body had been delivered to the house wearing the exact clothes that the person had gone missing in, the torture was obvious. Looking past the slashes up and down the poor man's arms, Reid noticed that his shoulders seemed out of place. Thinking back to his memory, he remembered that one of the victims had dislocated the shoulder bones which was probably caused by beatings. "I think the unsub has a ladder rack J.J."

"I know what that is…but you should probably tell me again." Reid saw the police station next to the next light, and so he started to talk rather fast. He knew that he had a bad habit of talking fast when he had a lot to say, but this was not the time or place to be thinking about his bad habits.

"They were used back in the Salem Witch Trials. The prosecutors would tie the prisoner to a long ladder, and this held them in place. Unless the prisoner confessed, the ladder would stretch out their bodies which usually resulted in dislocated shoulders. Following this method of torture would usually be the death sentence such as burning or drowning of the condemned witches."

"So you're thinking the unsub is hunting down witches?" J.J. pulled the SUV into a parking place, and turned off the engine.

"That or he's well educated. Not that many people know about torture methods used during the witch trials." Reid followed J.J. into the police station, and gave small smiles as she introduced him to the police officers. He was curious to find out what the others had found out about their unsub, and if their information would be linked to his. If the unsub was as smart as Reid thought he was, the unsub already knew that the BAU was there.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey everyone! I wanted to get this chapter up because this will be like the last chapter before anything super exciting begins so enjoy reading and please review! And once again, if you have any ideas that you want me to try and add in future chapters, ask me now so I have time to think it through_

Markus turned up the radio as he swung the car around the corner. There were three police cars sitting outside of Zach's residence, but that was to be expected. The murders were getting a lot more media attention since the BAU had showed up, and it was going to be more difficult to sneak the bodies around. Markus had no doubt that Harold was going to know what to do. Harold had predicted that it was only a matter of time before the FBI was going to get involved, and he knew that the police would be waiting outside of the "guests" homes. Markus pulled the car to the side of the road, and started dialing on one of the disposable cell phones that Harold had given him earlier.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"I think my wife is having a stroke. Please come right away. I don't know what to do. I'm located at 35th Ave and Sunrise. Please hurry." With that, Markus hung up the phone and tossed it out the window. Fingerprints wouldn't be a problem because Harold had ordered him to always wear gloves while driving. It would keep the steering wheel clean. Markus watched the three police cars speed away, and he smiled. The cross streets that he gave the operator were only 10 minutes away. Harold knew that they would send the closest officers to help the dying woman, and that would give Markus enough time to get rid of the body.

Markus pulled the car up to the front of the house, and popped the trunk. He was getting too old for all of this, and a little voice in the back of his head told him that he should be charging more for this kind of work. He stretched his legs as he got out of the car, and walked around to the trunk. He didn't have a lot of time. The sun was high in the sky, and the neighbors would notice him soon enough. He lifted the body of the trunk, and walked it to the front door. Harold didn't like clutter in the house or this messy job would be done at nightfall. Markus was sure that he was already preparing for another guest. Markus dropped the body at the door step, and hurried back to the air conditioned car. He drove off without ever seeing the police cars drive back to Zach's house. They were probably still trying to figure out which house had made the desperate plea to save a woman from a stroke.

He took his time driving back to the large house. He ignored the police sirens growing louder behind him, and he tried to focus on the duties for the rest of his day. Harold told him that he would be out for most of the day, and that probably meant that he would be famished by dinner time. Markus was hired by Harold's parents soon after Harold's brother had died. His parents had chosen to move away, and they left Harold their house as a going away present. Harold was allowed to hire as many servants as he thought he needed, but his parents picked out Markus in particular. His uncle was working with Harold's parents until his death, and Markus was sure that his uncle was the only reason that he got the job with Harold. Markus had no special training or education that would put him above the others that applied for the job. All he had was an old uncle that stayed loyal to Harold's family until his death.

Harold had sat outside all morning to wait out the arrival of the FBI. He was curious to see which agents had been sent out, but it was taking forever. It was an extremely hot day¸ and patiently waiting for an event to happen was never one of Harold's strong points. Whenever he wanted something, he usually got it immediately. That was one of the many pleasures of having rich parents. He never had to wait for anything. The first set of what he guessed was FBI agents arrived hours ago, and they did nothing to spark his imagination. One was an older man who was talking on the phone as he walked inside the police station. The other was a woman who seemed about Harold's age. She had black hair with bangs, and she stayed close by the other agent. Neither one of them had noticed Harold sitting across the street. He found it strange that two profilers couldn't take the time to look around them. Markus had probably already taken the first guest home, but Harold wasn't going to leave until he saw what he was up against. The police could barely keep the public under control, and he knew that they were no threat to him. He wanted a challenge, something that would him active. That was one of the reasons why he loved classical music above all other forms of entertainment in the world. Classical music was good for the brain, and he liked to keep his brain alive and well. When he was younger, he used to turn the music up loud for the plants in his bedroom. The flowers always did much better when he had the music on. He turned the music up in the vehicle, and rolled down the window to let the sweet smells of summer fill his nostrils. He closed his eyes to better enjoy the music, and laid his head back down while he waited for another car to pull up.

Hotch and Morgan didn't have much luck in the morgue. The two bodies that were still there were perfectly described by the police. There were no saliva samples or random pieces of hair from the unsub left behind. No organs were missing from the bodies, and they were delivered to their homes wearing the clothes that they went missing in. The mortician found it odd that the bodies were relatively clean as well. Their hair had been brushed, and it looked like their faces had been washed.

"Ok, so our guy tortures his victims, rapes his victims, kills his victims, and then washes them? That doesn't make sense," Morgan said as he pulled up to the police station.

"He just washes their faces, not the rest of them. Dried blood was all over their clothes, and on their bodies," Hotch replied. He got out of the car before Morgan even had the engine off. Morgan wrapped around the car, and was at Hotch's side in seconds.

"Ok, so after he kills them, maybe he feels some kind of remorse which explains why he washes their faces and drops off the bodies."

"I don't think he has remorse though. He keeps the victims alive for days. If he felt sorry for what he was doing, he would have stopped around the third day at least. The victims would still be alive, and he could drop them off where he found them," Hotch said.

"Maybe he is just afraid of getting caught?" Morgan opened the door, and followed Hotch inside.

"If he was afraid of getting caught, he wouldn't kidnap people in the middle of the day in parking lots. There must be another reason for the washing of their faces. He clearly suffers from narcissistic disorder which explains his self confidence. He doesn't think that he can get caught unless it's under his own terms." Hotch presented his badge to the officers sitting at the front desk, and walked towards the sound of Rossi's voice in the back.

"So a sexual sadist psychopath is the unsub? Wait till Garcia hears about this. You can be the one to explain that guy to her. Why does he rape them? Is it more of a form of domination over the victims or is it just about the sex?" Morgan sat down next to Prentiss. Nothing about this guy as normal. His victims seemed random, the torture seemed almost too extreme, and they still had no idea why he washed the faces of his victims.

"Maybe this isn't about domination. The torture of the act of rape could be the only way that this guy can satisfy himself. He might be choosing people based on their physical appearance, what attracts to him. I've been going over the photos, and all of the victims have clean skin, shiny hair, and an overall attractive look. All of the men were clean shaven, and the women knew how to dress well," Rossi said.

"Ok, so who are we looking for? A male unsub between the ages of 30 and 50? He probably lives around here, and he knows this town well," Prentiss concluded. Morgan watched her stand up to look over the victims again while the others nodded in a silent agreement. It was getting hotter outside, and Morgan cursed at the police station for having such a weak air conditioning system. He went over to open the window, and saw J.J. and Reid just getting out of their car.

"You're not opening that window Morgan," Prentiss threatened.

"It's hotter than hell in here! We need to let some fresh air in." Morgan looked back out the window, and saw that his teammates were already inside.

"You'll just let the hot air in here, and then it will be hotter than ever. Just get some water, and sit down or something. You're making me nervous standing over there like that."

Morgan pulled a chair out, and sat next to her. He picked up a folder to fan himself with, and ignored the deadly gaze that Prentiss was giving him. It was just too hot to deal with any of this right now. He looked up when J.J. walked in with Reid trailing behind her. She had put her hair up in a ponytail, but Morgan could still see sweat glistening on her forward.

"It's just too hot here guys," J.J. said as she sat down next to Rossi. Reid stood in the corner next the door while Hotch stood in front of the table. Rossi handed a water bottle to J.J. while Morgan laid his head down on the desk.

"Try to concentrate everybody. The sooner we get a profile, the sooner we can catch this guy. I believe our unsub is going to keep killing until he gets caught. His narcissistic personality gives him the confidence to keep doing what he is doing, and I believe he is intelligent. He keeps his victims alive for days, and that would imply that he has someplace large to keep them. He either keeps them in a warehouse of some kind, a basement, or even some kind of shed to keep them hidden from the public. Prentiss was right about the age. We are looking for someone in their 30s to 50s who would have the skills to be able to kidnap people without drawing attention," Hotch concluded.

"Reid and I also think he might have some kind of money. We found this outside," J.J. said passing the bracelet around. "It belonged to Samantha, and it is worth quite a bit of money. It looks like it was ripped off her during a struggle."

"At least she tried to fight back," Rossi commented. Morgan lifted his head up off the table, and looked down at the jewelry. Morgan would never tell the others, but any hope for her survival died when he saw her bracelet. Samantha had just been missing for too long, and Morgan had seen the conditions that the other bodies were in. It just wasn't pretty.

"Excuse me, agents?" An older policeman stuck his face through the doorway. He didn't seem to mind that the air conditioner was barely working, and Morgan just felt like punching the officer so they could be miserable together. "Another body was just delivered…"

"What?" J.J snapped. "Didn't you have officers waiting at the house? How could they not see a suspicion person dropping off a body at the front door?"

All of the agents started gathering their stuff, and Morgan stretched out his legs. He was excited that something was finally going to happen which was going to take him away from the cooking oven. He thought he was going to die in there.

"The officers were away for just a moment. They got a call from just down the street. A woman was having a heart attack, and her husband had called for helped," the officer quietly said.

"Did you save the woman?" Rossi asked.

"We never found her. The caller didn't give an exact address, and we weren't able to trace the call to anyone's house."

"You guys were tricked," Morgan said. "That was probably the unsub luring you away from the house so he could get rid of the body."

"Whose body was it?" Prentiss asked. Morgan noticed that she was also slowly putting her hair into a ponytail. She was just as hot as he was, and he smiled. The stoned faced Prentiss was human after all.

"It was the first victim to go missing, Zach. There's a long slash down the center of his chest, and he was sexually assaulted more than once. He hasn't really been examined yet, but it's bad."

"Ok, Morgan, you and Reid need to go to the home address of the next victim. Prentiss and Rossi, go look at the body. I'll go with J.J. to the work address of the victim. We have to assume that he is already dead. It's already late in the day, and if the unsub follow his routine, he's going to be dropping off the next victim any time now. We're not going to miss him this time. No police cars," Hotch said looking at the officer. "If anyone sees anything suspicious, call for backup. I don't want of us dealing with him alone, and stay together," Hotch said.

Reid felt all eyes go on him as Hotch finished his speech. He felt himself start to blush, but it went away when everyone started to leave. He stared at his feet while the others walked by him.

"Hey kid," Morgan said putting his strong hand over Reid's shoulder. Reid looked up at him, and looked at Morgan's concerned face. "Hotch asked me to do something for you."

"What?" Reid's mind was buzzing with possibilities.

"Hotch wants me to hold your hand before we cross the street," Morgan said with smile. Reid pushed him out of the way, and walked back outside. "Look both ways before you step onto the street!" Morgan called out. Reid hated Morgan when he acted like this. He could still hear Morgan laughing as Reid walked out to the car. Reid didn't really want to be sitting in a car with him on one of the hottest days of the year to wait for a corpse to show up. Reid pulled the hair out of his face, and tried to ignore Morgan when he came up to the car laughing.

"Can't you take a joke kid?" Morgan unlocked the car, and they got inside. "Come on Reid, it's hot. Cut me a break, will you?" Reid put the air conditioner on high to dry some of the sweat off his forehead, and dug in his bag to get the files out from the case. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Morgan pulling out his cell phone from his pocket.

"Did you know that 80% of all drivers who are involved in deadly car accidents were distracted while driving such as checking their text messages?" Reid smiled when he heard Morgan sighing. Now, they were even.

"Ok, kid. Whatever. I'm calling Garcia unless you know the address of this Clayton guy somewhere in your genius brain?" Reid shook his head, and started to fan himself with the files. It really was way too hot outside, and all he wanted to do sleep. He knew that he could blame the heat on his growing exhaustion, but he tried to keep the little fans blowing in his face. If he kept himself cooler, the deadly sun outside wouldn't be able to affect him so much.

"Hey, sweetie cheeks," Morgan said smiling. Reid envied how easily talking to women came to Morgan. Reid always stumbled around with his words, and he could not control his clumsy feet whenever a woman came around him. Maybe, if they ever got a day off, Morgan could give him some more pointers about talking with women. Reid knew that he needed help.

"What's up sugar pie? How's my dark knight doing on this fabulous day in Garcia-ville?" Her preppy voice filled the car when Morgan put her on speaker.

"Careful Garcia. Got you on speaker here, and Reid is in the car so try to make it PG-13. I'm going to need you to look up an address for me."

"Addresses are my specialty, among other things…I just need a name from the sweet lips of Mr. Derek Morgan," she said.

"Clayton Morris. I just need his home address. I'm going to have a sleepover there tonight with Reid. Wish you could join us baby doll. I have a strong feeling that Reid is going to statistic me to death," Morgan said.

"Hey!" Reid hated when they talked about him as if he weren't even there. He thought the others might have treated him differently after he survived being with a dangerous unsub for over two days, but they seemed to baby him more than ever.

"Sorry Reid," Garcia said. "I'll send the address to your phone Morgan. Should be there in less than one minute and counting."

Morgan pulled over to get the address, and rolled down one of the windows. Reid didn't mind the window being down. He liked getting the fresh air in his face, and the air conditioner was doing a horrible job of keeping him cool. He was already sweating again. Morgan started the car, and pulled up in front of a single story house just two minutes away.

"Ok, Reid, truth or dare?" Morgan pulled a piece of beef jerky out of the bag, and stared at Reid while waiting for an answer. This was going to be a long night.

Harold had watched all of the FBI agents gather in the police station, and he watched them all go their separate ways less than an hour later. He was interested to see how they always traveled in pairs, and he was curious to see where all of them went. He knew that at least one of the teams was going to his last guest's house. He was about to head back home when he saw the last team walk to their car. A younger man, in his 20s, stood by the black SUV staring at his feet while his darker partner went to the driver's side of the car. It wouldn't take a profiler to know that one had just made a joke at the other's expense, but this had caught Harold's interest. The boy with the pretty brown hair reminded him of someone, and it took most of his will power to look away as the black vehicle drove down the road. Harold started his car, and started trailing the FBI team at a safe distance. When they stopped in front of Clayton's house, Harold pulled over and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hello Markus. I'm going to ask you to clean up the guest's room. I think I found us some company for dinner."

"How many should I prepare for sir?"

"Well, there will be me, of course, as well as two others. They seem that they will provide me with interesting conversation. I wonder if they will prefer white wine or red wine…I've always liked red wine better myself. Oh, and please pull out my favorite Mozart music. I would love it if my guests were allowed to dine hearing one of the world's greatest composers."

"Should I still drop Clayton off as planned?"

"I will be home shortly with my new friends. I will give you further instructions once I get there. I do have a dreadful feeling in my stomach that one of my guests might be more problems than he is really worth," Harold said staring at the darker man in the driver's seat.

"Then why not just bring one home?"

"That is just the thing Markus. They choose to work as a team, drive as a team, and so they will come home with me as a team," Harold quietly said. He ran his tongue across his top lip as he eyed the younger agent in the passenger seat. "I might need your help with one of them, but believe me, this will all be worth in it the end."

"Yes sir. I will await your arrival."

Harold put his cell phone back in his pocket, and turned the music's volume up. The sun would be going down soon, and he had to keep himself attentive. He had to give his best side to his guests, but he had to patient with them. The heat would soon be working its magic on these agents who were not from this town. The heat would make them tired, and he had to be there for them when he was needed. He usually spent more time learning about his guests, before inviting them into his home, but something was different about these guests. The younger one sparked something up in his brain, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep that night without making his acquaintance. It would only be a matter of time before their first meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey faithful readers! This chapter pretty much wrote itself so I have lots of hope for the future of the story. Please read and reivew and dont hesitate to send me any questions or suggestions! The next chapters will be getting pretty bloody so just prepare for that! Enjoy! =)_

Their truth or dare game hadn't lasted that long. Reid's answers were always much too long, and he never once chose dare.

"Truth," Reid said while he flipped few one of the books that he kept in his bag.

"How many times have you read that book, and why?"

"I've read this three times in total since I was child because this is one of the books that my mother used to read to me. Reading it reminds me of her. Truth or dare?"

"Truth," Morgan calmly said.

"When were you the most scared?" Reid put down the book, and Morgan felt his eyes concentrating on him.

"Besides that time I was trapped in an elevator with you?" Morgan smiled, but Reid didn't flinch. "When one of my sisters wouldn't answer the phone a few years back, I almost had a heart attack. Bad people live in my neighborhood, and they've always had an eye for my sisters. I always picture the worst when they don't answer their phones. I ended up going down there to see what was up, and she was at a weekend party with some friends. I nearly killed her for not answering her phone, but I was so happy she was safe. Truth or dare pretty boy?"

"Truth."

"What's the furthest you've gone with a girl? I'll tell if you're lying so don't know." Morgan watched Reid start to fidget in his seat, and Morgan had to keep himself from laughing.

"You know this answer already Morgan. Pick another question!"

"You must oblige by the rules of the game Dr. Reid. That is my question, and now, you must answer."

"I kissed a girl in a pool a few years ago. I don't think she would even remember me. It happened so fast, and I never saw her again. I don't think any girl would be able to keep up with any of us. Our job is too time consuming, and we don't really lead normal lives which is why that the great Derek Morgan is also single."

Morgan stayed quiet for a minute. He knew Reid was right, as usual, but that didn't make it feel any better. His relationships were usually short lived just because of the mere fact that he was never home. He wanted to get married some day, and he was sure that was one of Reid's dreams as well. He didn't want to end up getting a divorce, and he didn't want to have to leave his child every day to chase down monsters. One of his greatest fears was not being able to leave the BAU when he wanted. He wasn't young like Reid anymore. Reid still had the opportunity to pack his bags, and leave whenever he wanted without suffering much damage. Morgan had seen a lot in time working for the FBI. He had formed scars that would never heal.

The game of truth or dare dragged on for an hour or so. Whenever Morgan chose dare, they were never exciting. The first dare was for Morgan to hold his breath as long as possible which was lame. He let the kid have a laugh when he couldn't hold his breath longer than three minutes, but the game was boring. He nibbled on the jerky to help the time go by, and Hotch called at least twice to find out how their watch was going. He assumed that Hotch was just as bored as he was, but Morgan would rather be paired with J.J. than Reid. At least J.J. knew how to take a joke. He pulled up the car a little bit further so he wouldn't be directly in front of the house which could potentially scare away the unsub, and he stuck his head out of the window. It was terribly stuffy in the car, and even with the windows rolled down, both of them were sweating.

"Reid, I think we should take a little walk or something. Reid?" Morgan opened his door, and turned around to find Reid fast asleep. Morgan snickered, and took out his cell phone. Reid's hair was messily over his face, and his mouth was dropped open. Morgan couldn't wait until the child prodigy started to snore. He took a quick photo of the sleeping genius with his phone, and forwarded the picture to the rest of the team except for Hotch and Rossi. Morgan knew that those two would find it less than amusing. Garcia, always quick with her fingers, texted back only seconds later.

"All he needz is a lil halo round his head! Precious!" Morgan smiled, but he couldn't think of what to say. He looked back at the sleeping kid, and all he did need was a halo, and maybe a warm cup of milk. He needed a stuffed animal to pose with Reid. He knew that Reid would certainly try to kill him when he found out about the photo, but it would be worth it. All he needed was a damned stuffed animal. He actually contemplated running to the store to pick up a toy for Reid, but he knew that his ass would be busted by Hotch if he left the scene. Reid's stuffed bear would have to wait, but Morgan vowed that he would get the kid a toy by the end of the week.

J.J. buzzed his phone a few minutes later. He trusted that she wouldn't tell Hotch. "LOL. Is he snoring?" Morgan glanced back up at Reid, and smiled. "Not yet, but he's drooling a lil". He wasn't lying about that drool either. Reid did have a small line of salvia running down his chin which was something that Morgan was never forget. Prentiss was the last to check back, and he stretched one of his legs out the door to stretch out. He was getting tired as well, and if he didn't watch it, he could end up with the sleeping genius. "Aren't you supposed to be watching the house? Wake Reid up!" He put the phone back in his pocket, and sighed. She was no fun, and he started to wonder if she would tell Rossi or not.

Reid never did start snoring, but Morgan noticed when his breathing got deeper a few minutes later. Morgan did feel like going on a stroll to wake himself up, but he couldn't just leave Reid sleeping in the hot car. He got out of the car, and pulled his arms out in front of him to stretch himself out. It was a lot cooler outside since the sun had set, and he almost wanted to wake Reid up just to get him out of the oven pretending to be a car. The neighborhood was quiet, and it looked like a peaceful night. Parents were putting their children to bed, and couples were enjoying their company before shut eye. He felt like he was the only person still awake, and it sucked. The last victim was brought back to their house, and that meant the next one would be dropped off at their work. This was just a waste of time.

Morgan heard something snap behind him like a twig being smashed by a shoe, but he turned around expecting to see a cat lurking in the bushes. He was surprised when he saw another man only inches from his face, and before he had time to react, he felt a needle being pushed into his neck. His attacker tore the needle out of his skin almost immediately, and Morgan started to feel extremely dizzy. He tried to focus on the son of bitch who jabbed him with a needle, but his eyes wouldn't stay steady. He felt the attacker grab something by his waist, but he was having a difficult time trying to keep from falling over. It didn't register that the man who stuck him with a needle just took his gun. He felt his knees start to buckle, and he grabbed hold of the chair in the car to keep from landing on the rough street. That was when he saw that his attacker had circled around the car, and was opening the passenger door where Reid was still sleeping. Morgan couldn't seem to find his voice, but he grabbed for Reid's hand to wake the kid up before something bad happened. He failed to grasp Reid's hand, but Reid slowly woke up with the commotion that Morgan had made. "Morgan? What's.." Reid stopped in mid sentence, and Morgan saw that his gun was pointed directly at Reid's head.

Reid never turned around to face the man who had stolen Morgan's gun. "Please do pardon me for being so abruptly rude gentlemen, but I am in a bit of hurry. We shall do more formal introductions later." Reid was staring at Morgan, his brown eyes wide in confusion and terror. Was this the guy who was going to deliver the body or was this some new psychopath who was having a boring night? Morgan couldn't get his voice to work, but he had to get Reid out of there. The kid had already suffered enough with Tobias Henkle. Morgan was stronger than Reid, both mentally and physically. He would be able to take whatever this sicko threw at him. He wasn't sure if his younger teammate could. He reached towards Reid's gun to draw the attacker's attention away from Reid, but it was too late. The man wearing black hit Reid in the back of the head with the butt of his gun. Reid cried out, and tried to draw out his gun, but the assailant grabbed Reid by his hair which stopped Reid in his tracks. Reid's head was smashed into the dashboard, and Morgan saw blood start to drip from the corner of Reid's forehead. Morgan tried to stand up to help Reid in any way that he could, but he lost grip of the chair. "Morgan!" He felt his body fall backwards, and his head collided with the street's pavement. His world had turned black a few moments before he hit the warm street.

* * *

The heat had really been getting to Reid. He had been feeling rather tired all day long, and the second he let his head rest back on his seat, he was gone. He never heard Morgan softly calling his name or opening the door to let some of the night air in. It felt so good to close his heavy lids, and enter the dream state which he rarely saw when he was at work. He really didn't mean to fall asleep, and leave Morgan to watch the house by himself. He knew that he'd regret sleeping when he woke up later, and had to deal with Morgan's constant teasing, but he didn't care.

He couldn't remember what he dreamed out, and he couldn't really tell what it was that woke up him up. He yawned, and he slowly lifted his eyelids to find out what was happening. He felt his eyes open wide when he saw Morgan holding himself up by the seat of the car. It looked like he had fallen somehow, and was trying to lift himself back up. Morgan was still sweating, and there was fear in his eyes. Something was very wrong. "Morgan? What's…" Reid stopped. He felt warm metal on the side of his head, and he noticed that Morgan's gun was missing from its holster on his hip. The person behind him was breathing down Reid's neck, and Reid slowly stared at Morgan in hopes that he would know what to do.

"Please do pardon me for being so abruptly rude gentlemen, but I am in a bit of hurry. We shall do more formal introductions later." Reid's quick brain started to analyze the man's voice as he spoke. His voice was deeper, but it sounded clear which meant he wasn't a smoker. He chose his words carefully and there were spaces between his trains of thought which told Reid that this man was educated. His eyes never looked away from Morgan though. Morgan could see the person who was doing this to them, Reid couldn't. Why was Morgan on the ground? What had this guy done to him? Morgan started to scoot towards Reid, but he was moving awkwardly. He couldn't seem to get a grip on anything. It was then that Reid heard the man behind him moving away, but then Reid felt something hit him hard against his head. The pain was overwhelming, and Reid could already feel a bruise start to form underneath his hair. Reid knew that he had to act fast. He reached for his gun, but the attacker behind him grabbed a handful of his hair, and slammed Reid's head into the dashboard. Reid's head erupted in pain, and he felt something trickle down the side of his head. Where was Morgan? Why wasn't Morgan helping him? He looked around for his teammate, and saw Morgan still holding himself up with the seat. Reid took one look at Morgan's eyes, and he knew that he had been drugged. "Morgan!"

Reid's attacker slammed his head back into the dashboard, and so Reid never saw Morgan fall onto the street. Reid started to see stars, and he was getting dizzy. He was barely conscious as the strange man tied Reid's hands behind his back. He couldn't protest, and he couldn't fight. There were strong pains coming from the side of his head where he was hit, and he probably would have been diagnosing his problem if he could concentrate. He felt the man lift up a strand of his hair, and his stomach dropped when he heard the man smelling it.

"Oh, your hair does just smell delicious. Tell me, what kind of shampoo do you use?" He felt the stranger running his fingers through Reid's hair, and he sniffed it again. Reid had to get out of that car. All he needed was his gun which was still in its holster, but it would be difficult to get out his gun with his hands tied behind his back with…rope? It wasn't rope. It felt too rough against his wrist to be rope. Still, he slowly moved his hands towards his gun. He couldn't see Morgan anymore, and he knew that Morgan needed his help. His fingers brushed the top of his gun when his captor noticed. He pulled Reid's hair again, forcing Reid's head back so he could look face to face with the man who was doing this to him. Reid felt the man steal his gun, and the man slipped his hand into Reid's pocket to take his wallet.

What surprised Reid the most was not that his teeth sparkled or that his hair was slicked back, but the fact that he was wearing a suit and tie. It looked like he was about to go to a fancy dinner party in someone's yacht. It seemed odd that the man didn't seem to mind Reid's blood over his hands, and he wasn't fazed after his attack on two FBI agents.

* * *

Harold saw his young guest staring wide eyed at him as he looked through the man's wallet. He knew that he should had put on cologne before leaving the house, but he was in search a hurry when he left that he didn't have time. The boy's hair was silky smooth in his hands, and his skin was clear of any blemishes. Harold could barely wait to bring the boy to his house. He hoped that Markus had done what he was asked to do and prepared the room for the guests. The boy's ID told him that his name was Dr. Spencer Reid. A doctor? The kid looked like he had just graduated high school a few years ago. He couldn't be a doctor already. The ID also confirmed his suspicions that the boy worked for the FBI. Harold never had any guests of any real importance staying in his house, and he couldn't wait to start playing with Agent Reid.

He had already wasted enough time with the two agents. If he wanted them, they needed to get out of that neighborhood. His house was quite a drive away, and he never liked driving after night fall.

"I do apologize again for being so hasty, but we will have plenty of time to talk later. I look forward to getting to know you Agent Reid." He saw that Reid was starting to get more awareness, but that simply would not do. Harold grabbed the boy's hair by its roots, and dragged him out of the car. In one swift motion, he smashed Reid's head in with the side of the car. The boy screamed right before the impact of the vehicle with his skull. Harold felt the body go limp in his arms, and he released his grip with Reid's hair. He smiled as Reid crumpled to the ground. He debated against giving the boy sedatives like he had given to the other agent, but a second trail of blood down Reid's forehead told him that the drugs were not needed.

Harold bent down and threw Reid over his back while he walked to his car. Timothy was probably starving back at home. He hadn't seen his daddy all day, and Harold always felt guilty when he had to leave his baby at home. Harold thought about picking up some fast food on the way back for little Timothy. That dog loved fast food more than most people did, and the dog would surely forgive Harold for being gone all day if he came home with treats. He tossed Reid in the backseat, and looked closely at the head wound. That boy would be out for a while. He calmly walked over, and picked up Morgan. Morgan had more weight on him than Harold did, and Harold started mumbling to himself as he threw Morgan in the car next to Reid. If he pulled a muscle because of that damned agent, there would be hell to pay.

Neither agent stirred as he started the car, and he predicted that it would be a quiet ride home. He wondered what Markus had ordered for dinner that night. Harold's stomach was starting to grumble, and he took a sip from his tea to quiet his belly. It was still rather hot outside, and he wondered when the last time the agents had a drink was. It was no matter. He would find that out soon enough. He turned the classical music back on in his car, but played it lightly so he wouldn't wake his sleeping friends up. How he wished that he could create beautiful music like the artists he played. He grew up with photos of Mozart and Beethoven all over his walls. His dream was to make a movie about their lives, and have the Hollywood stars living out his fantasy. While he had grown out of gluing pictures to his walls, Mozart was still his idol. He moved one of his hands to the music as he drove him with his new guests.

* * *

"They're not answering?" J.J. asked. Hotch had called Morgan, and he just hung up the phone after trying to call Reid. J.J. had tried texting Morgan again, but he never wrote back. She was getting sleepy because of the heat, but she was waking up more when the thought crossed her mind that something was wrong.

"No, but it rang all the way to voicemail. Their phones are both on. They're just not answering," Hotch said. "I'm calling Rossi." J.J. nodded and wondered what could have happened. Maybe they were getting bad reception or they had left their phones in the car when they saw the unsub with a body. She tried to push the idea in the back of her mind that something had happened to them. Morgan was with Reid, and Morgan wouldn't have let Reid wander off like she had done a few years ago. She still suffered from nightmares of those vicious dogs, and she could still see Reid strapped in that chair whenever she closed her eyes.

"Rossi, have you heard from Morgan or Reid lately? They're not answering their phones," Hotch told Rossi. "Morgan sent a picture to you? How long ago was that?" J.J. blushed and looked at her phone. She knew that Hotch would be asking for the picture the second he hung up. She clicked the picture back up on her phone, and smiled at Reid fast asleep in the car. Only he could find a way to be comfortable in a car. "I'm going to call them again, and if they don't answer, I'm going to head over there."

Hotch dialed Morgan's number again, and J.J. knew he was staring at her. "Why didn't you tell me that Morgan sent you a picture?"

J.J. surrendered her phone, and let Hotch see Reid sleeping in the car. "It was just a funny picture that Morgan took. I didn't think Morgan would send it to Rossi."

Hotch hung up the phone, and quickly dialed Reid's number. "He didn't send it to Rossi. He sent it to Prentiss and she showed him." Hotch slipped his phone back in his pocket, and started up the engine. "So Morgan was goofing around, Reid was sleeping, and now they are not answering their phones. Call Garcia. Have her track their phones. We're heading to their stake out."

Hotch turned the corner, and J.J. called Garcia.

"The goddess of all information speaking," Garcia sang into the phone.

"Hi Garcia. I need you to track Morgan and Reid's phones. Can you tell me if they're at the victim's house? His name was Clayton Morris." J.J. glanced at Hotch who had his eyes on the road. She could only imagine what was running through his thoughts. He was harder to read than most people. He had been through a lot on his life, and he was never willing to open up.

"Think they went partying with Mr. Morris, do you? I can see Morgan doing that, not so much Dr. Spencer Reid…Yeah, it says they are still at the Morris house. Are you planning a surprise party? Is it one of their birthdays? Oooo, I'll bring balloons!" J.J. heard Garcia's voice start to get louder, and her excitement was obvious over the phone.

"No, Garcia. Actually, I don't know when Morgan's birthday is, but they aren't answering their phones. It might be bad reception, but we're going to go check it out."

It went silent on Garcia's end, and J.J. knew Garcia never took it well when something bad happened to someone on her team. She had grown close to Morgan over the years, and everyone knew how Garcia babied Reid. She would be sick if they weren't at the Morris house.

"Oh," Garcia finally said. "Please call me when you get there. Better yet, have Morgan call me so I can beat him up for not answering his phone."

J.J. laughed. "Alright." She hung up her phone and looked back at Hotch. "She said their phones are still at Clayton Morris' house. They could just have bad reception."

Hotch stopped the car, and J.J. looked around. It was a neighborhood, but nobody was out walking their dogs or anything. Across the street, J.J. saw a familiar black SUV. The driver's door and the passenger door were wide open. "Oh my God…" Hotch pulled out of his gun, and looked at her sternly.

"Stay close." She nodded, and both of them walked cautiously to the vehicle. She had her gun drawn out in front of her, and she circled to the passenger's side. Nobody was in the car, but she saw both of their cell phones sitting in the seats. She saw Hotch searching the backseat, and that was when she noticed the blood on the dashboard. She gasped, and backed out of the car so she wouldn't be near the blood when she saw more blood dripping off the car's side.

"Hotch, get over here!" Hotch ran to her side, but all she could do was point to the top of the car. The car door was still open, and it looked like somebody's head had been rammed into where the car door should have sat. Hotch looked at the blood on the car, and he found the blood that J.J. saw on the dashboard. Morgan and Reid were nowhere in sight, their cell phones were placed in their seats, and there was blood in more than one area of the car. J.J. felt her skin pale, and she looked at Hotch who was already on the phone.

"Rossi, get over here with Prentiss and bring the crime scene unit with you," Hotch said as he pulled rubber gloves over his hands. J.J. backed out of the way, and slowly pulled out her cell phone. "Yes, we found their car, but they aren't here. There's quite a bit of blood on the car. No, I don't know whose blood is it yet. It will need to be tested but I'm assuming that Morgan was driving. The blood was on the passenger's side of the car which is where Reid would have been sitting. I don't know if there's blood on the driver's side yet. I'm looking now, but get over here!" Hotch put the phone back in his pocket, and looked over the car for anymore blood.

J.J. took a deep breath, and dialed Garcia's number.

"Listen and be amazed by the amazing awesomeness of my voice," Garcia chimed into the phone.

"Hi, um, Garcia? We found their car, and their cell phones were on their seats. They weren't here though," J.J. said quietly.

"What? Where are they? What's happened to them? No, no, no. They have to be alright. Reid was with Morgan. They were together. Nothing bad could have happened to them."

"We don't know where they are yet, but there's blood in the passenger side. Rossi and Prentiss are on their way over, but this doesn't look good. Their cell phones are too neatly placed in their chairs, like someone put them there."

"Reid was in the passenger side," Garcia said slowly. J.J. thought back to the photo that Morgan sent them. Reid was sleeping in the passenger side. "Please find them J.J."

J.J. put her phone back into her pocket as Rossi and Prentiss drove up behind them. Hotch was telling them what he had found before they even got out of the car. J.J. closed her eyes, and thought back to the night when Reid was taken from the corn field. She remembered how scared she was when Prentiss asked her where Reid was and J.J. was almost too dazed to understand her. It was her fault that he was kidnapped, and she never forgave herself for what happened to him. She knew he never blamed her, but it really was her fault. If she had stayed with him, he would have been safe and she wouldn't be afraid of large dogs. She looked back at the blood on the dashboard, and she heard Hotch yelling into his cell phone. Her only comforting thought was that Morgan was with Reid. Wherever they were, they were together. Morgan wouldn't let anything happen to Reid. Prentiss came up and hugged her, but that didn't make her feel any better. This was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello faithful followers. The next chapter is when it will start getting like super fun lol. _

Harold pulled his car into one of his garages, shut off the engine, and walked down one of the pathways to his front door. Markus opened the door for him before he even finished walking up the steps. Harold handed Markus his coat, and took a deep breath when he stepped into the entry way. The house looked spotless, and it would be such a shame to not be able share the beauty of his home with other people. He would have to have a dinner party that weekend. He would inform Markus to start the preparations for the party tomorrow. He always let his staff deal with the courses for the dinner, the year of the wine that would be shared, and which families should be invited. He was always very fond of children. When he was growing up, he had a list of names that he would name his babies. He was a perfect age to be a father, and his house was large enough to fit a large family. He just wished that he wouldn't have to deal with a wife, a woman. Women caused more trouble than they were worth. Men were such simple creatures, and even their bodies seemed less complicated. He got shivers down his spine just thinking about the boy with his friend back in Harold's car.

"What is for dinner Markus? I'm famished," Harold asked. Harold pulled the white gloves off his hands, and placed them neatly by the house phone. He liked to keep everything in place where it belonged. He sighed when he saw the gloves stained with the blood from the boy. "And would you please get these cleaned? I do hope they are not ruined."

"I believe that Richard prepared chicken for tonight's meal," Markus said picking up the stained gloves. Harold started walking towards the dining room with a beat in his step. He truly was starving. He had not eaten for most of the day.

"That sounds delightful. I haven't had chicken in ages. Oh," Harold said turning around. "My new friends have fallen asleep in the car. I really would appreciate you showing them to their rooms. I plan to go to the cinemas tonight after dinner. I have heard that there are quite a number of good films showing."

"Yes sir," Markus replied.

"Please do not wake them up. They looked so peaceful on the way here. I couldn't disturb them, and I am sure they will both love to hear about my trip to the cinemas when they wake tomorrow." Harold turned back to the dining room for his dinner.

* * *

Markus watched Harold disappear around the corner, and bit his lip. He hated it when Harold dragged him into his dirty work. He had only been to Harold's private chambers a few times, and he didn't like being up there one bit. He tried to distance himself from what he knew was happening upstairs, and it was easy when he did not know any of Harold's guests. He rarely saw them when they were alive, and he was paid quite a bit to drop of their bodies. Harold had never asked him before to bring people upstairs to the rooms. He had cleaned out the room that Zach had stayed in, but he didn't dare go into the other rooms. He was afraid of what he would find.

He walked slowly outside to the garage that Harold usually parked in. It was the closest to the front door, and the pathway was decorated with yellow flowers growing in the grass. It would have been a pleasant walk, but Markus was thinking about what he would find in the car. He was hoping against hope that the two people sleeping in the car had woken up already, and that they were long gone. As he opened the garage, he saw the car sitting in the silence. He swallowed a lump down his throat, and walked to the back of the car. Harold had the windows of the car tinted so it was difficult to see inside, but he could see two figures lying on the floor. He opened the door, and saw the two victims. The one laying on top was darker with large arms, and muscles protruding through the t-shirt he wore. It would be a miracle if Markus could carry a man of that size up several flights of stairs. The one underneath the darker man seemed much younger with light brown hair sticking to a line of blood falling from his face. Markus felt sick. This boy looked young enough to be his son. As he looked closer at the sleeping face, he felt the feeling of déjà vu sweep over him. The boy resembled someone that he knew, but he couldn't lay his finger on who. He threw the thought out of his mind, and tried to concentrate on the work at hand. He turned around to look for a cart or something to put them in when he saw two wallets in the front seat. Curious, he opened the door to retrieve the IDs. He held his breath as he read over the names: Derek Morgan and Dr. Spencer Reid, FBI. They were FBI agents. He put the wallets back where he found them, and tried to forget the information that he had just learned.

It took three tries before he was able to lift the darker agent into the cart, and even then, he was awkwardly positioned in the small basket. The younger one was easier to control, and Markus was pushing them towards the private chambers minutes later. He tried to remember all of the little turns and secret stairways as he went into the darker part of the house. It was easy to get lost in a house of this size, and he didn't want to be there when the agents woke up. He let out a sigh of relief when he found the three rooms hidden in a hallway behind the staircase. Which room did Harold want them in? Markus had cleaned out the room of the last victim to the best of his ability, but it was a smaller area. The bigger room was a better choice, and Markus unlocked that door. He almost gagged when he saw the body of a girl lying underneath a table in the center of the room. He took a deep breath, and pushed the cart inside. All he had to was find a way to contain the agents, and then he could go back downstairs where he belonged. He lifted the boy out of the cart, and looked around for something to hold him with. His hands were already tied with some kind of chain, but he was sure Harold didn't want him walking around when he woke up. He found some restraints hanging from the ceiling near one of the corners of the room, and he tied the boy's arms above his head. Markus removed the chains that Harold had used for the wrists, and he wrapped them around the ankles. He took off the young man's shoes, and paused for a moment when he noticed the socks around his feet didn't match, but he pulled the socks off as well. It was chilly in the room, but the chains had a tighter grasp around his ankles when he wasn't wearing the socks and shoes. The boy wouldn't be able to go anywhere once he woke up. Markus didn't have any guilty feelings until he saw how scratched up the doctor's wrists were from the spiked chain. His ankles would soon share similar marks, and Markus knew in his heart that everything that would happen to these agents was partially his fault. He wanted to wipe the drying blood off of his face, and brush the hair away from his eyes, but Harold wouldn't approve. Harold liked to be the one to take care of his guests. Markus closed his eyes, and tried to picture his younger sister in his mind. He sent half of his check to his sister every month. Ever since their parents died, he had vowed to take care of the only family he had left. She wasn't able to work because she had two babies to raise, and since her boyfriend left her, Markus was all the support she had. He would do anything for her.

Markus turned his back to the boy, and went through another process of getting the older agent out of the cart. He almost dropped him more than once, but he managed to get him on the opposite wall of the doctor. Markus used his body to support the darker agent into a standing position, and chained his wrists to the wall. He stepped away, and watched the agent being held in place by the chains. His ankles didn't need to be tied, but to be fair to the other prisoner; Markus took off the shoes and socks of the older agent. Markus saw a black bruise forming on the man's forehead, but he was in better shape than the doctor was. He stepped back, and crossed himself before he left the room. These men were in God's hands now. He turned the light on low so the men wouldn't wake up in the dark, and he locked the door behind him. With Harold going to the theatres, Markus would have a few hours to himself to do what he pleased. As soon as he got to the first level of the house, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He couldn't wait to tell his sister how much he would be sending her next week.

* * *

Morgan slowly came to consciousness, but he fought it until a sickening smell filled his nostrils. He rolled his neck to wake up his muscles, and focused on breathing. He still felt so tired, and all he wanted to do was sleep, but the smell was killing him. Where was he? He tried to focus his mind, and he kept his eyes closed while he thought. He was at work, as usual, and he was at a stake out. Reid was with him, but Reid fell asleep. Something happened…He was outside because he wanted to walk when somebody snuck up behind him. The man was wearing black, and Morgan was stabbed with a needle. Morgan squeezed his eyes tighter to try to remember the details, and then he saw Reid's head getting smashed into the dashboard. Reid!

His eyes shot open, and he tried to look at the room around him. His arms were sore from being held above him, but he would concentrate on that later. He was on his feet, but he was bare foot which felt like hell from being on an ice cold floor. The room was large, and its walls were decorated with tools. Morgan could probably identify what kind of tools they were if he tried, but he had to find his teammate. There were no windows, but he knew the room was bigger than what he could see. His eyes were having a difficult time adjusting to the low lighting. He felt his breath start to speed up, but he had to stay calm. He had to find the kid.

Just across from him, he saw a figure on the floor. His eyes were still getting used to the dim light, but he saw the long brown hair of his teammate. "Reid! Reid! Wake up kid!" Morgan tried pulling at his restraints, but he hissed when he felt something digging into his wrists. He couldn't see what was ripping at his skin, but he knew to stop tugging for the time being. Where the hell were they? As his eyes started to focus more, he could see what exactly he was in the room with, and he didn't like it one bit. He saw the rack that was used on one of the previous victims, he saw pointed whips hanging from the walls, and he saw all kinds of devices that had not been used since the middle ages. He felt his heart speed up, and started pulling on his restraints again. They had to get out of there. He stopped pulling when he felt a drop of blood land on his forehead, and he kicked his foot across the floor in anger. Reid needed to wake up. "Reid! It's Morgan. I need you to open your eyes now." He saw no movement from Reid, but something caught his eye in the middle of the floor. Underneath a wooden table was a young girl with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. There was blood all over her mouth, and down the front of her shirt. It didn't take a genius to know that she was dead. Morgan was just grateful that her eyes were not focused on him. "Reid. Wake up!"

* * *

Hotchner couldn't believe it. How could two armed agents be taken in a neighborhood without anyone hearing a sound? It didn't seem possible. He watched from his car as the crime scene investigators took samples from the blood, and dusted for fingerprints over the cell phones and the SUV. He knew that they wouldn't find anything. The unsub that they were looking for was smart, and he wasn't one to leave any evidence behind. Hotchner couldn't figure out how Morgan and Reid became his targets, but the victims still seemed completely random to Hotch and the rest of the team. He watched Prentiss offer comforting words to J.J. while Rossi observed the investigators. The key to getting his lost agents back was to treat this like any other crime scene. He went to J.J. and Prentiss. J.J. was near tears, but crying wouldn't help the situation.

Rossi came over when he noticed them gathering together. Hotch waited until everybody was quiet, and after glancing at the blood on the car, he focused on the team.

"Ok, we have to figure out what exactly happened. Let's go through the events. Morgan and Reid are sitting in the car waiting for the unsub to drop off a body," Hotch began.

"Reid falls asleep in the passenger side of the car, and Morgan takes a picture," Prentiss continued.

"Assuming Reid fell asleep due to the heat, what made Morgan get out of the car?" Rossi asked. DNA had confirmed that the only fingerprints on the car handles belonged to Morgan and Reid.

"Do you think he heard a strange noise?" J.J. asked.

"Doubtful. If he heard some kind of noise, he would have woken Reid up. If Reid fell asleep due to the heat, Morgan might have opened the door to let the cool air in," Hotch said looking back at the SUV.

"How do you know that Reid stayed asleep in the car? What if they both woke up?" J.J. asked.

"The blood on the dashboard indicates that someone was sitting in the passenger side when they were attacked…It would have been too difficult for the attacker to force someone back into the car to injure them," Rossi said.

"The unsub probably attacked Morgan from behind. He stood up maybe to stretch out when he was drugged up. A rag or needle maybe? While he was out, he circled around the car, saw Reid sleeping, and…" Prentiss didn't need to continue. All of them had gotten a good look at the blood on the car.

"So why did he feel the need to attack Reid when he had easier means of taking him out?" Rossi asked.

"Maybe Reid just looked like an easy target," J.J. said. "He's really skinny, and he looks young. He doesn't look like an agent should. Do you think the unsub knew that they were FBI?"

"If he didn't know when he attacked, he knows now," Rossi said.

"But by him choosing to attack Reid, he gave us some vital clues," Hotch continued. "We know he must be of some physical strength to be able to knock someone out before they had time to reach for their gun. We know that he is a organized killer. He comes to the crime scene knowing exactly what he needs, and he knows how to get it. I'm betting that he knew Morgan and Reid were agents, and that he has probably been watching them since we arrived."

"How would he know that we were here?" J.J. asked.

"He's been following the case," Prentiss replied. "The media probably announced our arrival to keep the public calm after the murders. So our unsub is following his case or he just watches the news on a daily basis. He might also have a minor form of OCD. He played their cell phones in the center of their seats, and that took time when you consider that he could have just tossed the phones on the ground. He knows what he is doing."

"And he's not afraid of getting caught," Hotch said. "I'm going to need you to a press conference in the morning J.J."

"Already?" J.J. asked. They hadn't even spent 24 hours working on the case, and J.J. hated moving forward unless they had an exact profile to go off of. All it seemed to her was that their unsub was a male, presumably wealthy, and he liked to keep things in order. He probably also didn't have a job based on the random times of day that he attacked.

Hotch was already on his way back to the SUV while J.J. struggled to keep up. Rossi and Prentiss didn't follow, but J.J. saw them getting back into their car as well.

"We're racing against the clock. Morgan and Reid are gone, and we aren't exactly sure what kind of drug the unsub used on Morgan or exactly how much blood that Reid lost. We don't have any time to spare."

J.J. sat quiet on the way back to the station. She hated giving press conferences when she wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for. She knew the reporters would be asking all kind of questions that she wouldn't be able to answer. They were running out of time though. They needed to find Morgan and Reid fast.

_**the reivew button is like at the bottom of this page. take this time to tell me what you thought!*_


	6. Chapter 6

Not one person on the BAU team slept that night, aside from Reid who had not woken up despite Morgan's pleas. J.J. was hoping against hope that the unsub would call them soon after her press conference and Garcia was calling them every five minutes to see if any new information had been found so she could be of more help. Hotch never left the white board where photos of the victims had been posted. His eyes were getting red from staying up all night, but he was desperate to find something in common between the victims. Prentiss and Rossi had gone knocking door to door in the immediate area where Reid and Morgan were last seen.

Morgan probably could have slept if he tried, but he wanted to be there when Reid woke up. He couldn't get a clear view of Reid's head injuries, but he guessed that the kid had some kind of concussion. Morgan couldn't tell when morning finally came. The light in the room never changed from the dim setting, and he couldn't hear any movement outside of his prison. He tried to keep his brown eyes on his sleeping friend. It was the only thing that would keep him calm, and the thoughts that his team would be looking for them. Given the time of the night, he guessed the girl in the middle of the room was Samantha. They had been too late to save her life after all. He would had gotten a closer look at her to see exactly how she died if he wasn't chained to the wall. He envied Reid who looked peaceful on the ground while Morgan was stuck on his feet with his arms reaching towards the heavens. How the hell were they going to get out of there? Morgan couldn't move his hands more than a couple inches without cutting into his skin. His greatest hope was that Reid's bonds were looser so that he could wiggle free. Once he was out, he could help get Morgan out and then they were free. The kid needed to wake up first.

Morgan held his breath when he heard the door being pushed open, and his eyes followed the man in silky pajamas who strolled inside. Despite the poor lighting, Morgan was able to get a good look at the bastard who grabbed them. The man was about his height with slicked black hair, light skin, and brown eyes. He would have been considered a very handsome man if he didn't have a sick and twisted mind which was the reason Morgan was on a leash. Morgan bit on his tongue to prevent himself from talking as the unsub calmly walked over to him. The man looked up and down Morgan's body as if he were nothing more than cattle. Morgan was able to hold his breath until the man walked over to Reid. The man was bending down to look at his sleeping friend when Morgan started pulling at his restraints again.

"Get your hands off you son of a" Morgan yelled.

"My my, Derek, please do not use such foul language in my house," the unsub said interrupting Morgan. "Do you mind if I call you Morgan? I never liked using the word 'mister' or 'sir'. It sounds so formal, and we are just talking as friends.

"Don't you dare call me by my name! It's Agent Morgan to you, and in case you have noticed, we are with the FBI. They are not going to let you go easy if you lay a hand on either one of us."

"Aren't you the feisty one? Tell me, were you the youngest in your family?" the unsub asked while pulling a chair to sit in between Morgan and Reid. What the hell was this guy doing? He acted like he didn't realize that he was holding two federal agents prison in his house.

"Let us go man. Our team is looking for us, and if you don't let us go now, there's going to be hell to pay." Morgan stopped pulling at his leash as he felt more blood drop on his forehead.

"I do love going out to the cinemas. I am usually stuck at home all day. There really is never enough time in the day now, is there? With the house being as lovely as it is, I thought I deserved a break. Have you seen the lawn? I've always believed that a clean home is a happy home. I tend to get off subject so you will have to forgive me if I start gibbering away…Now, what was I saying? Oh yes, the cinemas. There is a little theatre not far away that specializes in films from when movies actually carried some meaning with them. Today's audiences tend to be fascinated with blood and gore, pain and suffering. I've never seen myself as that type of a person. Who would pay to see someone get tortured? Have you ever seen the film titled _Clue_ Derek?"

Morgan stayed quiet, but he could feel the anger building up inside of him. There was something seriously wrong with this man, and Morgan wasn't sure how to communicate with him. There was an unconscious man in the corner of the room, and this guy wanted to talk about movies?

"It was a murder mystery, and I enjoyed it so. Were you able to guess who did it?" The unsub smiled, and turned around to look at Reid who had never gotten up. He stood up, put his chair back in its place, and went back over to the young agent. Morgan felt his heart start to race. Reid needed to wake up and now. "Doesn't your friend know that it is terribly rude to doze off when a person is speaking?"

"He's unconscious. He would probably would be awake if you hadn't slammed him into the car," Morgan said.

The handsome man clenched his jaw, and Morgan saw his hands start to form into fists. Even from his distance which was several feet away from this man, Morgan could hear him breathing loudly. Morgan tore again at his chains when the unsub kicked Reid across his stomach.

"Stop kicking him you coward. If you have hell to give to one us, give it to me. I dare you!" Reid still hadn't woken up, but Morgan was surprised when the unsub went out the door. "Yeah, run away. You can't face like a real man. You can't talk to me unless you sneak up behind with a needle you bastard!" Morgan felt the adrelain running through his veins. He really did wish the coward would come back. He needed his ass kicked. He was about to let out a violent yell when he heard Reid moan. The kid was finally waking up. "Reid?"

The unsub then walked nonchalantly back into the room and straight over to Reid who still hadn't opened up his eyes. "Get away from him you bastard!"

The man didn't even turn around to look at Morgan who was pulling again at the chains. He was holding some kind of bottle attached to a long tube. Morgan couldn't see exactly what it was, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to. The stranger opened Reid's mouth and stuck the long tube down his throat. Morgan couldn't yell out his threatening words fast enough. He ignored the blood that was streaming down his arms, and he couldn't feel the spikes digging into his wrists. All he could see was the youngest person on his team with a tube in his mouth. The dark haired man then tied a rag around Reid's head which covered up his nose and the lower part of his eyes. The unsub paused for a moment, as if listening to Morgan's curses, and then he started to squeeze down on the bottle. Morgan watched helplessly as water ran down Reid's throat while the unsub hummed an upbeat tune. He could have indentified the tune if he tried, some old television show, but Morgan couldn't stop screaming at the monster to stop.

Reid's eyes shot open after only a few seconds of the forced drinking, and Morgan could almost see the confusion back in his eyes as he stared up at his attacker. Reid started struggling, slowly at first, but soon his legs were jerking up in the air as he tried to get away from the attacker. Reid was moving his head in any direction he could, but the unsub was holding him down. With the rag covering up his nose and the tube going down his throat, Morgan knew that he wasn't being able to catch his breath. The psychopath didn't even seem to mind that Reid was fighting to get air into his lungs. In fact, the humming got louder as to block out Reid's struggle. The young doctor was being drowned, and Morgan felt sick as water was filling Reid's lungs. Morgan kept shouting any threats that came into his mind, but it wasn't working. Reid was more than just a co-worker to Morgan. He was more like the little brother than Morgan never had, and now he had to watch the boy fight for his life while he could do nothing but watch.

* * *

"And we are asking if anyone saw suspicious activity to contact the police immediately. Thank you. I will now take any questions that you may have," J.J. said. The press conference was almost over, and she couldn't be more thrilled. She knew the toughest part of it would be the questions at the end, and she felt her stomach drop when about ten reporters lifted their hands up high. She pointed at one of the reporters closest to her. It didn't really matter when one she picked on. They would all ask the same questions that she wouldn't have the answers to.

"You have us a vague description of the suspect we are looking for. Can you give us a little something more to go off of?" The reporter was an older man who didn't have a strand of hair to cover his head. His pen was close to his pad of paper, and he resembled a vulture waiting for its food to slowly die.

"Not at this time, sir. We will release more information as we get it." J.J. scanned the audience for a second question, and chose a woman who wore glasses that seemed to come out of the hippie generation. That in combination of her office wear wasn't a pleasant sight to behold.

"Should the public be worried now that this serial killer has kidnapped two federal agents and got away with it?" If looks could kill, that man would have been killed several times over.

"This conference is over," the sheriff said. J.J. could not had been more grateful as she was escorted away from the media. She ignored the flashing lights of the cameras, and she couldn't make out a single question that the reporters bombed her with as she left the room. The only thing that she couldn't shake from her consciousness was Reid's blood in the car.

"Thank you for that back there," she said when they were cleared of the pests from the media.

"I know how horrible it can be out there. Imagine telling a town that their sheriff had to send for reinforcements to help catch a serial killer in their town." J.J. couldn't imagine doing that. She had a hard enough time when she had to tell mothers that their child was killed.

When she finally got to the office of the station, she wasn't surprised to find Hotch still looking over the photos of the victims and the locations where they were kidnapped.

"Has Prentiss and Morgan found any witnesses?" J.J. sat down in one of the chairs, but she couldn't make herself looked at the board that Hotch had his eyes glued to. What she really needed was a nap to cool her head down, but she wasn't going to tell Hotch how tired she was. She knew how he blamed himself daily for what happened to Elle. J.J. sipped out of her coffee, and willed herself to stay awake.

"Not yet, but they've only gone down one block. How long does the unsub usually keep his victims?" Hotch asked.

"It depends on the victim, and what exactly is done to them. Most don't last more than a few days." J.J. said slowly. "Did DNA confirm whose blood was on the car?"

"It was Reid's," Hotch said without ever breaking the stone face he was known for. "We need to find them."

J.J. nodded, but she didn't know what else to do. She was so tired, and she knew that Hotch was wearing himself out. He would never tell her, but she knew he was blaming himself. He was in charge of the investigation, and he was supposed to be able to keep his team safe.

"Um agents," an officer said running into the room. J.J. perked up, and Hotch finally turned away from the white board. "Another body was just found."

J.J. pushed herself out of her chair, and followed Hotch outside to the car. "Rossi, another body just turned up. I'm heading over there now with J.J. No, finish up the street you are in. I'll call you once I find out who it is." J.J. fastened her seatbelt across her chest, and turned the air conditioner on high. The body couldn't belong to Morgan or Reid. They just went missing last night. This would have been too soon unless the unsub was devolving. If that were the case, he would be killing his victims faster and easier. J.J. swallowed the lump in her throat, and focused on the road ahead. Hotch was going to need her help.

* * *

"Thank you sir. Don't hesitate to contact us if you remember anything," Prentiss said as if she were reading out a book. Her feet hurt from wearing heels, sweat was heavy underneath her bangs, and she was getting sick of hearing the exact same story from every neighbor. They had all either gone to bed early, had the television blasting throughout the house, or they went out for the night. Not one neighbor had seen or heard anything.

"This does tell us something about the unsub. He knew exactly what he was doing. They didn't have time to fight back or to scream. Reid was probably out before he knew what hit him," Rossi said. Prentiss was happier not thinking about the events of the night before. She never deleted the picture that Morgan sent to her phone. She wanted to be the first one to show Reid what Morgan did while he was sleeping. She smiled to herself. As long as she kept happier memories inside, she would be able to stop herself from breaking down. She wasn't the kind of girl who wore her emotions on her sleeve. She guessed she was more like Hotch than she had originally thought. She had to stay strong, and so she wore an invisible mask over her face as she rung the last doorbell. It was better if nobody knew what she thinking inside.

An elderly woman answered the door. Her short hair was grey and thin. She wore house slippers over her feet, and she was still wearing her nightgown. Prentiss spotted a brown cat lurking around behind her. The house was in relatively good shape, and Prentiss guessed that the lady lived alone. The television was running, but there wasn't much other noise coming from inside.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am," Prentiss began. "My name is Agent Prentiss and this is Agent Rossi. We are with the FBI." Prentiss pulled out her badge for the lady to look at.

"Oh, is this about what happened last night? I saw all those police cars, and it nearly gave me a heart attack. What happened?"

"Two people were abducted, and we are looking for any witnesses that could have seen something. Do you remember anything unusual from last night? It would be around the times of 10pm and 2am." Prentiss watched the old woman start to fidget with her hands. Prentiss glanced at Rossi who had also noticed the woman tense up.

"Well, I thought I heard something. It was only a few minutes before all of the police cars started showing up. It almost sounded like a scream, but it was hard to tell because the voice was so light and my hearing is going out with my age. I didn't want to be that nosy neighbor that everybody hates so I didn't look out the window right away. When I finally did, I saw a gentlemen standing near the SUV across the street. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I found it odd that he walked away without closing the doors. It was probably nothing."

"Could you see what he was wearing ma'am?" Rossi quickly asked.

"It was dark outside, and I'm not the best person to see from far distances. He had black pants on, I know that much. It almost looked like he was wearing a dress coat as well, but that could just be the black night blending into his clothes."

"Did you see where he went?" Rossi continued. "Did he get into a car?"

"I never saw him get into a car. I saw a dark car driving away shortly after, but it could be one of the neighbors. I never keep track of what kind of cars they drive."

"Do you know what color the car was? Do you have any idea of the type of car?" Prentiss asked. This was the only tip they had gotten from this entire street, and she could feel herself start to get anxious.

"I don't know car names. I've never cared for cars. My husband bought me a car, and when he passed, my sons have helped me with my car. It was just a little black car with darker windows so I couldn't see inside. He wasn't speeding or anything so I thought nothing of it."

Rossi pulled out his cell phone, and started walking away without acknowledging the older lady or Prentiss. Prentiss smiled at the woman, and handed her the business card.

"Thank you ma'am. If you can remember anything else, don't hesitate to give us a call. You have been more help than you could have imagined." The woman took the card, and Prentiss smiled at her. As she hurried to catch up with Rossi, she thought about how thankful the rest of the team would be when they found out that they finally had a lead.

_Thanks for all the support. The lovely reviews keep me writing faster so pretty please review! The review button should be right underneath this writing, and it only takes like a second. Thanks!_


	7. Chapter 7

Morgan couldn't even think of time when he had more scared than when he had to watch Reid being drown, and he couldn't do one thing to stop it. He had yelled until his throat was sore, and he feared that if he struggled anymore against the chains, he would end up slicing his own hands off. What more could he do? He started slamming his body against the wall hoping to break the chains that held him. He would rip that sicko to pieces the second he got off of that wall. He was sure that Hotch wouldn't mind if Morgan beat this guy to death before the police arrived. He deserved no less for hurting Reid. He couldn't understand why anyone would even think of hurting their youngest team member. He was convinced that the kid was still a virgin, and unlike the rest of the BAU team, Reid wouldn't even hurt a fly. Morgan knew that Reid was too innocent to last that long in the FBI, but Morgan wasn't going to let Reid get hurt on his watch. He tried to collapse the wall by pushing his feet up against it, but the wall wouldn't budge. Why the hell wasn't the wall moving?

"Let him go you son of a bitch!" Morgan screamed. Morgan felt tears swelling up in his eyes. He was virtually helpless when Reid needed him the most. The kid was going to die, and it was going to be all his fault. Reid's legs were still frantically kicking in the air, but his kicks were getting weaker and weaker.

Through the tears in Morgan's eyes, he saw a little ball of fur cross the floor. He had to blink his eyes at least three times because he thought he was imagining, but there was a tiny dog running across the room. The ball of fluff went over to Morgan, and directly looked into his eyes. How in the world did a dog get in here? The dog curiously tilted its head at Morgan, and then ran over to where his friend was drowning in the corner. To his amazement, the little animal started to yip its head off at the man who was killing Reid. The man turned around, and a smile stretched across his face. Morgan held his breath.

"Oh Timothy, good morning! Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? Yes, you're the good boy! Oh yes you are. You're the baby! Are you hungry for breakfast?" The man was kissing all over the little dog like nothing had happened. Morgan stared at him, completely dumbfounded. This guy had more than one screw loose in his head. He bent down next to Reid, and pulled the handkerchief off from around his nose. He put the bloodied rag back into his pocket, and almost mechanically, he pulled the tube out of Reid's throat.

Immediately, Reid bent over and started coughing. "Just breathe pretty boy," Morgan said to him but he didn't think Reid heard him. Reid bent his legs next to his chest, and he threw up most, if not all, of the contents his stomach. The unsub had picked up the drowning device, and slipped the weapon into his other pocket. He then lifted the dog into his arms, and walked over to Morgan. For some reason, he acted deaf towards the pain that Reid was going through.

"I forgot to introduce myself," the man said with a rather upbeat tone. Morgan bit his tongue again to prevent himself from trying to attack the son of a bitch. If he didn't watch it, he really would rip his hands from his body. The spikes were sharp on his leash, and he could still feel them digging into his skin.

"I do forget my manors in the morning," he continued. "If it wasn't for Timothy here, I might have lost my way. I just find it terribly rude when someone wants to sleep when someone is speaking. Timothy is such a sweet creature. I bought him from a breeder just a few years ago. He is a purebred Shih-Tzu, and I was planning on entering him in shows. That idea just fell apart I guess. As I was saying, my name is Harold. I was never given any nicknames as I was growing up, and so you may call me Harold. I will now make my leave. Timothy and I are hungry for our breakfast. I do believe that today's breakfast will consist of bacon and eggs. One of Timothy's favorite foods is bacon, and so I try to have it made once a week. I bid you gentlemen a good morning. I shall visit you again after Timothy's walk." With that, Harold left the room. Morgan heard the door lock behind him.

Morgan waited until he couldn't hear anymore footsteps before he looked over at Reid. The genius was deathly pale, but at least he was still alive. Reid was still coughing every now and then, but he was quiet for the most part.

"Are you okay pretty boy?" Morgan called. He wanted nothing more than to go look at the wounds on Reid's head, and get the kid into a more comfortable position to steady down his stomach. Morgan hated not being in control more than anything.

"I'm alright," Reid weakly said. He started coughing again, and bent over to throw up anything that was left in his body. When he finished, he sat back on his butt with his legs near his chest. He wiped the blood off from his nose, and started to look around. "Morgan, where are we?"

"I don't know. I have no idea what this room is, who that freak was, or why he was carrying around a stupid little poodle."

"It wasn't a poodle. He told us that it was a Shih-Tzu which is closely related to the Pekingese which were imperial animals in China not so long ago," Reid said.

"Ok, I know you have to do the genius thing at work but do you have to do it here too? I don't give a shit about royal pooches from yester year. What do you remember about last night?"

Reid closed his eyes, and tried to will his tired brain to think. He remembered that it was quiet outside, and that he was sleepy. As hard as he tried, the rest of the memory wouldn't come back in any kind of order. He remembered Morgan hanging on the seat, he remembered screaming when somebody was holding him outside, and he remembered somebody hitting his head into the dashboard. His throat was burning from belching, and his stomach was threatening to make him throw up again.

As he slowly became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed that his bare feet were tied together using some kind of sharp chain. His arms were being held high above his head with another chain, and he felt that some of the skin on his wrists were cut. He bent down closer to look at the rope around his ankles, and saw hundreds of little spikes digging into his skin. The more he struggled, the deeper those spikes would dig. The large room was considerably cooler when Reid remembered how hot it had been outside. He missed his socks. It didn't make him feel any better when he saw that Morgan was also missing his socks and shoes.

Reid didn't consider himself truly scared until he saw the wooden table in the center of the room with a corpse lying underneath it. He felt his breath get caught in his throat, and looked slowly back up at Morgan.

"Is that, is that Samantha?"

"Concentrate Reid. What can you remember?"

"I remember that we were staking out. I think I fell asleep?" Reid paused. Did he fall asleep? He couldn't really remember. In fact, the only thing he was certain of was that it was hot. "Somebody attacked us…you were drugged somehow. The unsub…he was wearing a suit. Morgan, I think I had a concussion." Reid wanted to wrap his arms around his head to massage away the pain from his massive headache, and he couldn't make the room stop spinning. Why weren't his thoughts forming together in the way that he wanted them to?

"Calm down pretty boy," Morgan said but Reid could barely hear him. He started hyperventilating, and he couldn't get his eyes to look away from the dead girl. Where we they?

"Reid, eyes on me!" Morgan shouted. Reid forced his eyes off of the girl, and turned to look at his partner. He felt his breath return to a regular pace, but he couldn't stop the tear that fell out of his eye. The girl in the middle of the room was Samantha Huntington, and she was missing her tongue.

Garcia had been walking around her office all night trying to think what she could do to help. She was not out on the field with the rest of the team, and she felt useless not being able to do anything but stare at the computer screens while waiting for a command. She was still hoping that Morgan would call her at any minute and apologize for playing such a horrible joke on her, but he never called. Not one person called her during the night, and she sat with a pink bunny while the sun started to rise over the trees.

When the phone finally started to ring, she could barely find the strength to reach over for the phone. She had mascara smeared across her eyes, and the only thing that could still make her smile was that photo that Morgan took of Reid. She uploaded it to her laptop, and didn't let any games cover up his face.

"Garcia," she said when she finally found the strength to pick up the phone.

"How are you holding up?" J.J. asked on the other side of the phone.

"Do you need something?" Garcia wasn't in a mood to talk. She wanted to curl in a ball and cry her heart out until her chocolate prince with the boy genius were brought home safely. They had only been gone for one night, but what could a crazed lunatic do to them in the hours that they had been away? They had to be alright, they just had to be. They were together, and she was lectured in grade school that there was safety in numbers.

"Um yes," J.J. said. Garcia could feel that J.J. was hurt by her harsh words, but nothing would be better until Morgan and Reid were found. She couldn't imagine either one of them in pain, and it brought water to her eyes whenever she thought of Morgan screaming. "Prentiss and Rossi were able to find a witness. The witness didn't see much of anything, but she confirmed that our unsub is male and he drives a black four door car."

"Really?" Garcia nearly knocked over her coffee to get closer to the computer screen. "Did she see Morgan or Reid? Were they okay? Please tell me that they were okay."

"She didn't see them. All she saw was the unsub putting their cell phones back in the SUV, and she saw him drive away. I guess the boys were already in his car."

"Oh…" Garcia slumped back into her chair, and brought her stuffed animal back to her chest.

"But we know that he drives a black car, and according to the witness, it was a new car. Going off Reid's assumption that this guy is rich, he could have bought that car within this year. Do a search in this area of black cars sold within a 10 mile radius."

Garcia knew that J.J. was just trying to give her something to do, but she appreciated it. She took a sip out of her coffee, and brought her computers out of hibernation mode.

"I'm on it girly girl."

"Thanks Garcia. I'll call you if we find out anything else." J.J. hung up the phone, and Garcia was left alone once again to her fears. The fluffy pens or bright clips in her hair did nothing to cheer up the mood of the room. Her friends were in danger while she sat in her office.

J.J. chose not to tell Garcia that they were at the location of another victim. Clayton Morris was dumped in his backyard only a few hours after Reid and Morgan were abducted. The apparent cause of death was blood loss, and J.J. felt nauseated after looking at the body. There were also obvious signs of violent sexual assault. The body's legs were bruised and broken with deep slashes in his thighs and through his member. This man had a horrible death.

"Has the press conference aired yet J.J.?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah, it was a live feed," J.J. said, turning away from Clayton's corpse.

"I'm going to need you to do another conference this afternoon to announce the murder of this last victim. The unsub watches the news reports. That is how he knew that the FBI was in town to look for him. He's going to watch for any updates."

"What do you think he will do?" J.J. asked.

"It's going to make him to want to take another victim. He kidnaps three at a time. We know that much. Rossi and Prentiss are back at the station working on the victomology. We are going to catch him in the act," Hotch said confidently. J.J. could do nothing but nod. She wasn't as sure as Hotch seemed. All she could do was hope that he was right.

_This chapter was shorter, but I wanted to get it out. I couldn't stand the thought of Harold drowning Reid either. Please review! It only takes a second!_


	8. Chapter 8

Harold had the television turned on as he shared his breakfast delight with Timothy. He did like to keep in tuned with what was happening in the world. He skipped through the cartoon channels, and while a film on one of the shows seemed interesting, he settled with the news. The pretty blonde girl who had been working with his guests was speaking at a press conference or something of the sort. He turned it up.

"Late last night, two federal agents were abducted while staking out at a victim's house. Derek Morgan," a photo took over the blonde's face on the screen.

The photo was of the darker handsome man tied up downstairs. The photo looked recent, to Harold's surprise, but Derek wasn't smiling in the photo. It looked like the one on his badge.

"He is about 6'3, and weighs about 200lbs. He is 39 years old, and he was last seen wearing black pants with a dark colored tee shirt." Harold snickered. He was still wearing those clothes. They were rather hideous, and Harold knew that he would have to get rid of them soon enough. Those clothes were far from the perfection he craved. A photo of the younger agent soon replaced the one of Derek on the screen.

"This is Doctor Spencer Reid."

The photo was similar to Derek's photo. It looked a lot like the one on the boy's badge, and it was recent. Harold's lips formed in a smile as he studied the photo. It looked like the young doctor was trying to appear older than he was by keeping his back straight, and he looked as serious as Derek did. It was amusing.

"He is about 6'1, and is about 130lbs. He is 27 years old, and was last seen wearing brown pants, and a white button down shirt with a vest and tie." The photo disappeared, and the pretty blonde was back. "We are urging anyone who has seen them to call police immediately. Any information regarding their abduction is crucial, and we do have reason to believe that this is related to the recent murders that have been going on in this area. We are also asking citizens to please, be safe. Notice people around you, and lock your doors at night. Don't travel alone, and do not invite people into your homes unless you already know them. The man we are looking for is somewhere between 30 and 50 years old. He will be physically fit, and he is probably someone that you all know. He knows this area well, and he will be well liked. Please call if you have any further information. Thank you."

The moment that she stopped talking, the reporters started shouting at her. Harold decided that he liked her when she didn't run away from their questions. He never liked being questioned.

"You said that two FBI agents were kidnapped?"

"They were abducted late last night ma'am," J.J. said.

"How can you possibly think that you can protect the citizens of this town when you cannot even protect your agents?"

The interview was suddenly cut, and the news went back to the people at the front desk. Bored, Harold turned down the volume. It was hard to protect someone when you didn't know they were in danger. Harold wasn't going to go out for another party guest for a while. He had a feeling that the two upstairs would be plenty of fun now that introductions were over. It had been so long since he had heard two friends actually talking in his house. Most of his guests didn't know each other, and he had a tendency to give them the privacy of separate rooms. He had never put them in the same bedroom before, and so he was anxious to see how it would turn out. He could watch them from the video room, he had cameras placed in every room, but he didn't like to consider himself a voyeur. His brother never liked voyeurs.

* * *

"_Were you spying on me Harold?" Michael stood up from his desk, and walked to over to his younger brother who was hiding behind an arm chair._

"_I just like to watch you. There's nothing wrong with that," Harold said standing up._

"_How would you like me to watch you when you are alone in your bedroom?"_

"_I really don't think I'd mind," Harold said moving toward his brother. Michael was taller than he was with a skinny stomach and light brown hair. He was almost an exact replica of their mother while Harold looked more like their father. Harold hated his black hair, but his brother loved it. Harold was never sure if that was an honest compliment or not. Harold put his hand on Michael's chest, and felt the rib cage underneath the thin shirt. He felt himself start to tense up as his brother put a hand on his shoulder. He had been waiting all day for this. Who knew that a single day could last so long?_

_His brother backed him onto the bed, and Harold could not have taken his shirt off fast enough. He felt his brother kiss down his chest slowly, and Harold held onto his breath. He needed to remember this moment. Being born into a wealthy family never gave him the pleasures that he longed for. He was given the best of anything, but he never felt happier than when he was safe in his brother's arms. Harold heard himself gasp when he felt the warm hand of Michael on his member. Oh, how he needed this!_

* * *

"Sir, will there be anything else?" Harold blinked himself back into reality. Timothy was still in his lap, but was helping himself to the rest of Harold's breakfast. He didn't mind. That dog was all he had left, the only soul who was truly loyal to him. Timothy could have all the food in the house if he wanted. Harold did feel himself growing harder in his pants, and he blushed. Why were memories so vivid? He needed to go relieve himself, but neither of his guests were ready. It would be rude to do that on their first day. He still needed to see them. That couldn't wait.

* * *

"Um, Morgan? I kind of need to use the erm…bathroom," Reid said nervously. Morgan couldn't help but laugh out loud. He was tied to wall with bleeding wrists and sore feet, but he was laughing. "I'm serious Morgan!"

Morgan didn't need to pee, but he hadn't been forced to drink all of that water earlier. He couldn't really remember the last thing he had to drink. He didn't want to think about it. Hotch would find them soon.

"I don't know what to say pretty boy. I can look the other way," Morgan said snickering.

Reid looked like he was trying to position himself better, and Morgan bit his tongue when he had to look at Reid's head wound again. He needed to see a doctor. He was just thankful that little mop came in when it did. Reid could have died.

"This isn't going to work Morgan, I," Reid stopped when the door slowly opened. Morgan tried twisting his head so he could look the bastard in the eye when he came in. If he laid on more hand on Reid, there would be real hell to pay. Harold walked to the table, and eyed Morgan first and then Reid.

"What the hell do you want man?"

Harold turned around to the table, and picked up a sharp looking knife. He walked over to Reid who was desperately trying to scoot away.

"Don't touch him you son of bitch! Get over here, and talk to me!"

The man didn't acknowledge him, and bent down to the young doctor. Morgan couldn't get a clear view of what happening, but Reid was staying still.

* * *

Reid had to stop himself from attacking when the unsub bent down to him with a knife. Fighting him could make it worse. Reid made a mental note that Harold was wearing expensive cologne.

"It's nice to meet Harold. My name is Spencer Reid," Reid started. Harold wasn't looking at Reid's face at all. "Where is your family? Do they live with you?"

Reid stopped when he felt the knife rip down his shirt, and through the vest. He felt his heart pounding, and he looked back over at Samantha. The knife brushed his skin, and Harold pulled the shirt apart. Harold's eyes got dark, and ripped the shirt and vest from his body. Reid cried out when the small spikes on his chains dug into his skin. He felt his ankles start to bleed, and he heard Morgan shouting something in the background. He wanted his shirt back. It was freezing in this room! Harold threw the shirts towards the door, and pulled Reid's hair out of his face.

"Get your hands off him!"

The man who called himself Harold put a single hand over Reid's chest.

"You do look so much like him…"

Harold lowered his sweaty hand down Reid's chest, and Reid couldn't hold it anymore. He felt his pants get wet, and he went pale when Harold stopped his hand. Harold looked down at his pants, stood up, and kicked Reid as hard as he could between his legs. Reid's eyes filled up with water, and his back curled back to his knees. Sharp pains shot up from his groin, and he yelled out in pain.

"You're pitiful!" Harold screamed at him. Reid couldn't see through his tears, and he wanted more than anything to be able to get his arms off the wall. His arms were starting to ache, and it he wasn't able to massage the pain in his groin away. He felt sick to his stomach, and if he hadn't thrown up everything in his stomach earlier, he would have been throwing up again.

He didn't see Harold walk away from him, but he pulled Reid to his feet when he was back. Reid cried out again from the rough movement, and he had trouble standing with his feet tied. Harold dragged him off the wall, and pushed him over the table. Reid's eyes got wide when he was face to face with Samantha. His stomach was really the only part of him on the hard table, and with his head hanging off one end; he was able to see Samantha's wide eyes.

Morgan was going ballistic on the wall next to him. Morgan was tearing at the harsh chains, and he ignored the blood falling down his arms.

"Get your hands off him!"

Reid weakly opened his eyes when he felt a cold metal on his back. He couldn't really turn around to see what it was, but Morgan's eyes got bigger and his jaw dropped. Reid started breathing faster, and he struggled to get off the table. He felt the metal claws move up his back towards his neck, and he let his imagination loose as he tried to figure out what was on his back. It felt like pointed spikes, much like the ones on his wrists and ankles, but this was bigger. Before he could process anymore ideas, Harold dug the device into his back and pulled it down his shoulder blades. He screamed. He really couldn't tell what was happening to him, but he screamed louder than he ever had before. Warm blood was pouring out his back, and his tears were falling on Samantha's face. Samantha offered no sympathy.

Reid was roughly pushed off the table, and he landed on the spikes in his wrists. He gasped as the spikes ripped at his already bleeding skin.

"Reid? Reid, kid look at me," Morgan said gently.

Reid saw Morgan's feet, and if he reached out he could have touched them, but he couldn't. He was fighting to stay conscious. The only thing he could focus on was breathing, and he was having trouble with that. Using the last of his strength, he looked up at Morgan. Morgan looked like he was about to cry which would have brought a smile to Reid's face if Reid wasn't in so much pain. Reid took another deep breath to steady himself when his world went black.

* * *

Morgan was biting at his tongue to keep himself from crying. The youngest member on his team was just clawed at with some huge fork thing. Reid was badly bleeding from the giant fork dragged down his back. Some of the boy's skin had actually been torn off his body, and Morgan couldn't understand how he was still chained to that damn wall. He couldn't feel the damage that he had done to his wrists. He didn't care. Reid was pushed off the table in front of him, and he winced when he saw that Reid landed on the spikes. Reid fell right in front of Morgan, and as much as he wanted to kill the son of a bitch that hurt Reid, he wanted to help the kid stay conscious more. It wasn't going to be a good idea for him to black out with that head injury of his. Morgan wasn't a doctor, but he knew the kid needed to stay conscious.

"Reid? Reid, kid look at me," Morgan leaned forward and said. It took at least a minute for the boy to lift his head off of the ground to look Morgan in the eye. Morgan was going to offer a smile when he saw Reid's eyes roll back into his head.

"Reid? Reid!" Reid's head fell back down on the cold floor. Morgan looked closely at the long gashes down Reid's pale back, and he trembled. He could easily see this image with a case that he might be working on, but not on one of his best friends. Reid didn't deserve this. The kid never did anything wrong to anyone. He had his off days like everyone else did, and he wasn't himself when he was taking drugs, but he was the one member of their team who was not mentally prepared to take this. Morgan even guessed that J.J. would be a better choice because she was stronger than him in more ways than one.

Morgan didn't notice Harold put the giant fork away, and Harold could have left the room without another peep from Morgan if he wanted to, but he didn't. He rudely kicked Reid over onto his back, and dragged the doctor back to his side of the room. Harold attached Reid's chain to the ones on the walls, and Morgan saw him smiling.

"What the hell is your problem man? You are going to rot in hell before you even die. I'm promising you that much buddy. Both of us are FBI. If you don't think they are going to find us, you are wrong," Morgan threatened.

For the first time since he came back, Harold turned around.

"Pretty blonde girl was on the television. She looked older than Spencer here, but she was rather young for FBI. What is her name? I'm assuming she works with you. Part of your team maybe? She left in a similar vehicle to the one I found you in."

At least the team really was looking for them. He wondered how long it took before the team realized that they were missing. If J.J. was doing a press conference, which meant that they had finally got down a profile. At least J.J. couldn't blame herself this time. All of this was on Morgan's shoulders. He should have been looking at his surroundings, and not be so stupid while staking out for a murderer to show up. He needed to be the one who was beaten, not Reid.

A tear dropped out of Morgan's eye. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be.

"Not answering questions is rude Derek!" Harold screamed at him. Morgan didn't see where the whip came from. All of Morgan's focus was on Reid who had not moved since he glanced at Morgan. He needed to go to a hospital. Morgan chose to ignore the dry tongue in his mouth and his sore throat he suffered from. Morgan didn't notice Harold until Harold was standing only a few feet from him with a black whip in his hand.

'I do think it is time for us to finally meet Agent Morgan," Harold said.

_Thanks for all of the reviews guys. Review keep me going so more reviews would give the motivation needed to get another chapter up ASAP. How do you guys like Harold so far? Thanks again, and the review button is right under this. _


	9. Chapter 9

Harold smiled as he raised the whip over his head. Agent Morgan was still looking over at the boy tied to the wall. The boy shouldn't really be any of Derek's concern. They were co-workers who were forced to spend hours together whether they wanted to or not. Harold was never required to have a job so the little information he got about the work force came from books or television. From what he saw on the shows that he loved, he knew that jobs were never the best thing to have. The payment for work could be enjoyable, but the work itself could become nothing less than a living hell. If he had to appreciate anything given to him by his parents, it was that they never made him work.

"Derek, please look at me. How will we ever become friends if you cannot even look into my eyes?" Harold smiled, and watched the darker man slowly look away from the boy on the wall. As soon as their eyes met, he cracked the black whip he was holding against Derek's chest. The shirt ripped with the contact, and Harold saw that the skin had been broken. Crimson blood was starting to stain the old tee shirt. Harold couldn't wait until that horrid thing was off of Derek's body and in the trash where it belonged. Derek didn't scream or cry out as the whip slapped his chest. He let out a small hiss, but his eyes never left Harold. Harold liked that. He raised the whip over his head, and slapped the whip harder against his guest's bleeding chest. Derek's eyes were watering, and his lips started to waver, but he didn't scream.

"Let Reid go man. He's just a kid. Do whatever you want with me," Derek said. Harold was amazed that the man could still form proper words. Two bloody streaks were staining his chest, and Harold could only imagine how much pain he was in. It was truly delightful that the wounded agent could still offer proper conversation. "Please let Reid go. Just drop him off somewhere. He won't even know where he is. You have no idea what that kid's been through. He's no threat to you. Please."

Harold cracked the whip again, this time against the lower part of Derek's stomach. Derek shut his eyes, and Harold smiled when blood splattered against the whip. Three slaps with the whip, and nothing more than a loud hiss from the guest. This had to be a new record. Harold would have to remember to record this later tonight in his diary.

"How very dull it would be without the two of you here. Don't you agree? What kind of celebration is it with only one guest?" Harold noticed Derek's breathing become labored, and he looked up at Derek's chained wrists. They were much bloodier than the young doctor's were, and the blood was dripping down the muscular arms of his weakened guest. Despite his broken body, Derek simply refused to afraid. He looked Harold straight in the eye, and Harold looked at him back. Harold stepped back, and took a deep breath in. If he wasn't careful, one of his guests would be going home before the party was over and that simply wouldn't do. Harold had to control himself.

"Please, I'm begging you. Let Reid go. He needs to go a hospital," Derek pleaded. Harold smiled, more to himself than his guest, and pulled a small digital from his breast pocket. He never had guests before that had such an extensive family that wanted them back and Harold felt that it was his duty to tell the others that the missing ones were safe. He turned the camera on, and took a moment to let focus in the dark lit room.

"What is that? Is that a camera? Please man! Reid is sick!" Morgan yelled, but Harold didn't acknowledge him. Harold walked over to the unconscious boy, and took a few photos. He took of the boy's pale feet, his bloody hands, his beautiful face, and then one that showed off his entire body. Once satisfied with his photography, he turned over to Morgan who was losing consciousness quickly. Harold took similar photos to show off Derek Morgan's sick and weak body. Harold's favorite photo was Derek's head shot. Derek stared into the camera, and if looks could kill, Harold knew he would be dead. Harold carefully the camera back into his pocket, and noticed Samantha underneath the table. He sighed in disgust, and dialed Markus with his cell.

"I thought I told you to clean up the room before my company came." Harold heard a loud noise to the side of him, and saw that Derek had collapsed. He would be on the floor if his chains weren't holding him up. Derek wasn't going to last much longer. What a shame. Harold walked over, and touched Derek's ripped shirt. It was a thin material, and Harold wouldn't even dress his dog in material like that.

"Yes, well get up here immediately. Samantha's father is probably worried sick. She needs to go back home. How would you feel if your daughter never came back?" Harold looked back over at the girl, and hung up the phone. Blood was everywhere. This would need to be cleaned.

* * *

Markus hurried up the long staircase. Harold had never used physical violence with him, but Markus knew what he was capable of. He never wanted to make Harold angry. He didn't want to be the one to drop the dead girl off. He could only pray that the authorities were too occupied with the missing agents to care about Samantha anymore. The lives of the agents were valued more than the life of a random teenager.

He was just about to call Harold to tell him that he didn't have the key to the room when he saw the door was opened. Harold was still inside. He cautiously opened the door, and found his master sitting in front of the wooden table. Both agents were unconscious, and the younger of the two was missing his shirt. Markus trembled at the thought of what was done to them.

"I'm going to need you to take off Agent Morgan's shirt off as well. I don't want that thing in my house. Burn it in the fire at dinner time," Harold said.

Markus nodded absently. He wondered how much time he had to get the shirt off before the agent woke up. He didn't want to be there when he woke up.

"I would also like you to deliver some photos for me. You may drop Samantha of first, of course, but then I have a stack of photos of my new guests. I've been watching television reports where their friends desperately want them back. The pictures I took will show them that I've got Agent Morgan and Agent Reid in good hands. I'll develop the photos downstairs, and have them by the out table so you can just pick them up when you leave."

Photos? Harold had never taken photos of anyone before, not to his knowledge at least.

"I shall take my leave now. Timothy still needs his walk, and I'm anxious to start making invitations to my party. I plan to have a party this weekend. You should need to prepare the house, and tell the rest of the staff to start getting ready. Tell Maria that she should invite her parents. I have yet to meet them," Harold said walking out of the room. Markus absently nodded again, but didn't watch Harold leave. His heart was pounding at the task on hand.

It only took a moment or so to peel away the torn shirt from Agent Morgan's body. Markus made sure to place it by the other clothing he saw by the door. He didn't question the button down shirt and vest belonged to the other agent. He also moved Morgan just a bit so the spikes of the chain stopped digging into his wrists. He would have to tell Harold that Morgan needed to be moved into a sitting position if Harold wanted him to last. Both of the agents would also be needing water soon enough. Markus didn't know the last time that either of them had anything to drink, and both of them had their mouths slightly open. He mopped up the blood on the floor around Samantha, threw the discarded clothing in a plastic bag, and picked up the corpse. He locked the door behind him without looking back at the agents. There was nothing more he could do but pray. He wondered how long it would be before he had to drop them off.

Markus only spent a few minutes on Samantha's block when he saw her father get in his car and drive away. Markus dumped her body in the front yard, and drove away without a moment's hesitation. No one saw him, and he had his gloves on so no fingerprints would be found. He was glad that Harold knew what he was doing, and he was even more grateful for the generous sum he would be giving to his sister. She needed the money badly.

No problems arose until he was sitting in front of the police station. He saw police officers running around inside, and he knew that the FBI were probably getting stressed out about not being able to find their stolen teammates. Markus wasn't stupid enough to go inside, and hand over the envelop of pictures. He would be arrested on spot. That was when he noticed the black SUVs sitting in the front of the station. He crossed himself, casually walked over to the dark vehicles, and stuck the envelop in the wind shield. Once he got safely back into his own car, he breathed a sigh of relief and called his sister. Hearing her voice would give him the courage to be able to drive back home to see Harold and Timothy.

* * *

Hotch pulled the SUV into a parking spot back at the police station. J.J. and him had not spoken much on the way back from looking at the body. There wasn't much to say. He had let his team down again. He shouldn't had sent Morgan and Reid to stake out a sexual sadist by themselves. Morgan had been picking on Reid all day, and Reid was exhausted from the heat. Whatever was happening to them should have been for Hotch. Hotch was responsible for them. He was their leader, and it was his stupidity that got them abducted.

J.J. hopped out of the car without a word to Hotch. He knew that she probably blamed him for what happened to Morgan and Reid as well. Someone needed to blamed. He got out of the car, and as he locked the door, something caught his eye. He turned around, and saw a white envelop neatly placed on the wind shield of the SUV next to him.

"J.J.?" Hotch said. The blonde circled over to him, and he pointed at the message.

"Note from the unsub?" she asked hopefully. "Maybe it was a mistake for him to kidnap two FBI agents, and he wants to return them…"

The envelope was slipped into an evidence bag, but Hotch eyed it closely. He doubted any fingerprints would be found, and he was curious to see the contents inside. Hotch took a firm hold of the bagged envelope, and hurried inside the station. Wearing gloves would save any fingerprints from being smudged, and reading the letter could be the difference in saving the lives of his two missing agents.

Prentiss and Rossi were sitting at the table looking over their files. Both of them looked physically and mentally exhausted. Their eyes lit up when Hotch stormed into the room.

"We found this on one of our SUVs," Hotch explained while he was putting on a pair of latex gloves. J.J. sat down next to Prentiss, and Hotch carefully opened the envelop and pulled out the contents inside. He was surprised to find a pile of photos versus a ransom note, but when he saw Morgan tied up to a wall, he dropped the photos onto the table.

"Oh my God," J.J. said quietly.

Hotch felt his stomach roll over. All of the photos were of Morgan and Reid bleeding, and chained to a wall. Reid was either sleeping or unconscious, but Morgan was staring right into the camera in one of the photos which sent chills down Hotch's spine.

"He's never sent pictures before," Rossi said. "Do you think he is devolving?"

"I don't think so. Most of the photos focus on the injuries. It is like he is proud of his work, what he is doing. He just wants to show off," Prentiss replied. "It looks like Morgan was whipped. He has long slashes across his stomach, and the shirt is torn. It doesn't look like Reid was whipped though. There's a little bit of blood by his nose, but that could be a common nose bleed. Why didn't he whip Reid?"

"He's a got a head injury," J.J. pointed out. "Look at the matted hair."

"That's probably from the initial attack in the car," Hotch said.

"There's a little bit of blood on the wall behind him if you look close enough. Maybe he was whipped on his back," Rossi said.

Hotch had to try to remove himself from what was actually happening. He wouldn't be able to examine the photos if he kept reminding himself that his friends were the victims. That was the blood of his friends on the walls, not a nameless stranger.

"Do you guys think they are in a basement? It's hard to tell, but I don't see any windows in any of the pictures." Prentiss asked.

"I see sharp spikes on their chains. Morgan's feet aren't tied up, but his wrists are bleeding pretty badly," J.J. said quietly.

"Get copies of the photos to Garcia J.J. She might be able to analyze the room to find out if it is a basement or not," Hotch said.

"I'm on it." J.J. walked out of the room with the phone by her ear. Hotch watched Rossi and Prentiss look over the photos with horror written all of their faces. They didn't need to be growing through the psychological torture that the photos were giving them. Prentiss was good at holding things inside, but it would only be a matter of time before she broke. None of them slept last night, and he knew they wouldn't until Morgan and Reid came safely. Convincing himself that Reid was only sleeping and that Morgan's wounds weren't that bad wasn't working. Their situation was getting more dire by the minute, and Hotch didn't want to think about how much longer they would last. The only console he had was that Harold kept his victims for days, and his friends had only been missing for a few hours. They still had time.

* * *

J.J. didn't shut the door behind her when she left the room to call Garcia. What was happening to them? She couldn't believe that those horrid pictures that they found were of Morgan and Reid getting tortured. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball to make it go away. Reid couldn't go through this again. He wasn't strong enough.

"Hi Garcia," J.J. said when she heard the phone pick up.

"Do you have any idea how many black cars were sold in the last week alone? I don't think we're going find any bad guy this way J.J. I'll need more specifics like a make, a year, a"

"We got pictures. The unsub sent us pictures."

Garcia stopped her ramble, and got quiet. "Are they good pictures? Never mind, I don't want to know. Don't tell me. Is there anything else I can do?"

"We're going to need you to look at the pictures. I'm going to send you copies. We need to find out what kind of room they are in. The pictures aren't very clear as to their surroundings, but maybe you can narrow it down by the walls and stuff."

"What are the pictures of J.J.?"

"Morgan and Reid are still alive. That's all that matters."

"What kind of pictures are they J.J.?"

J.J. took a deep breath, and looked back at the room where Hotch was struggling on how to instruct his team. "Not good. Morgan got beat up pretty badly, and Reid doesn't even look conscious."

"I don't want to see the pictures. Please don't make me look at them."

"It will help find them Garcia. They need all the help they can get. I'm sending the pictures over to you now."

"Okay," Garcia choked out. She sounded like she was about to cry.

J.J. walked back into the conference room with the cell phone to her ear. She was about to make copies of the photos when an officer ran into the room.

"Another body has been found. Samantha was dropped off at her house. She's dead," the officer said.

Prentiss and Rossi both stood up, gathered their files, and followed the officer out of the room. Hotch nodded at J.J. to continue what she was doing, and then he left her with the pictures.

"J,J. what happened? I heard someone talking," Garcia asked.

"They just found the girl. Samantha is dead. Morgan and Reid are alone with the unsub."

_Yay for another chapter finished. The next chapter will be very graphic so if you couldn't handle anything in this chapter, you probably shouldn't read on. Harold isn't going to be that friendly to Morgan or Reid. Personally, I think Samantha got it off easy. There will be non-con in the next chapter or in chapter 10. I'm not sure which chapter as of yet, but I'm giving you a fair warning now. Please don't forget to review! The review button is right at the bottom of this page. Thankies!_


	10. Chapter 10

Morgan slowly came to consciousness with a blistering headache and a dry mouth. He ran his tongue over his mouth to wet his cracked lips, but his tongue wasn't as moist as it should have been. His stomach was growling, but he couldn't remember the last time he had been so thirsty. What time was it? He looked around, but the lighting in the room hadn't changed. How long had they been missing? The team must be close to finding them. He saw Reid shifting across the room. Morgan noticed his shirt was missing, but he decided not to bring it up.

"How are you holding up kid?" Morgan rested his back across the wall to relieve any pressure from his wrists. They weren't bleeding, but he was light headed.

"I'm fine. Morgan, what happened to you? Are those whip lashes?"

"We need to profile this guy. He kinda looks like Clark Gable, doesn't he?" Morgan smiled. "He was taking pictures of us while you were out of it. I'm thinking he sent those pictures to Hotch, and I'm thinking Hotch isn't too happy about that. If he took pictures, he's proud of what he's doing to us," Morgan said looking at Reid's pale face. Reid was a lot skinnier than Morgan thought, and Morgan didn't like seeing Reid's rib bones protruding out of his chest.

"It's also strange that he wants to talk to us while he does this. He's treating this like it was perfectly normal. He must have an accomplice of some kind. He didn't look physically fit to carry both of us through this house. Have you seen anyone else?"

"Besides the mop named Timmy? No, I haven't. Look on the bright side, you don't have to pee anymore," Morgan said smiling. Reid weakly smiled back. "Pretty boy, how long can someone stay alive without any water?"

"Three days," Reid quietly said. "When was the last time you had something to drink?"

"And how long do you think we have been missing? At least a day? I don't remember when I drank last. I feel fine though," Morgan said. Reid's brown eyes were focused on him so he looked away. "I'm fine kid. Stop looking at me like that. I'm going to try again to knock this wall over. Maybe if I push all of my weight against it, it will fall or something."

"Did you know that banging you head against a wall will burn 150 calories an hour?"

"Okay, just stop it. Seriously. I am going to throw you out of the plane when we are going back home. I'll sneak up behind you, and bam!"

"If we ever can get home…"

"We're going to kid. Hotch and the team are out there looking for us." They had to have had a profile now. J.J. was on the news, or so Harold claimed, so they were going to find them soon.

* * *

Garcia brought two stuffed animals close to her, had all the lights in her tiny office turned on bright, and stared at the wallpaper on her laptop of Reid fast asleep in the car. He had no idea what was going to happen to him that night. He had no worries, no cares. That's how she wanted to think of him. She didn't want to look at the pictures that J.J. was sending her. When her email beeped to tell her that the photos had been sent, she didn't want to open them. She waited a few moments to gather up her courage, and opened up the email. The first photo she saw was of Reid with blood dripping down the side of his pale face. His arms were chained above his head, and his shirt was missing.

"Oh my God," Garcia whispered. Before she had any more time to prepare herself, another photo popped onto the screen. The second photo was of Morgan in a very similar position. He had a black bruise on his forehead, his feet were bare, and his shirt was ripped with blood dripping down the edges. Garcia felt her stomach turn, and she knew that the contents of her breakfast weren't going to stay put. She covered up her mouth, and ran out of the room. She kept her head down so other agents wouldn't see her green colored skin or her red eyes.

She made sure she was alone in the bathroom before she threw up her pancakes into one of the toilets. She flushed, but she couldn't get herself off the floor. She broke down crying, and pulled her legs close to her head. She was safe, but her precious baby with her dark knight weren't. They were alone, cold, and bleeding, and she couldn't' do anything to stop it.

* * *

"_Harold, who was the last Tsar to rule over Russia?"A bald man circled around Harold with a book in his hand. Harold tried his best to ignore. The man wasn't important. Who would need to about dead kings in the real world? _

"_I don't care. Where is Michael?" Harold hadn't seen him in over a week, and while his parents took no notice, Harold wanted to see his brother. The cook told him that Michael was visiting universities. His brother was planning on leaving him. Harold wouldn't be able to go college. He was still too young, but he couldn't let his brother leave. He needed him._

"_You are so a bright boy Harold," the bald teacher said kneeling down to next him. "You're one flaw is that you are too lazy. Michael will be home soon enough. Now, tell me. Who was the last Tsar of Russia and what happened to him?"_

"_Nicholas II was the last to rule Russia, and he was murdered with his wife, daughters, and son in 1918 during World War I. Can I go now?"_

"_Yes, you are excused. I'm going to have a talk with your father about your interest in school work. He will not pleased I am sure."_

"_Go ahead professor," Harold mumbled as he jumped out of his desk. He ran up the stairs to his room, and slammed the door in anger. Michael couldn't leave him. He wasn't like the others. Michael knew about their parents didn't care about them, and they had no other friends. They were all they had. Harold needed Michael. Harold threw a framed photo of them against the door and he let his tears fall. His brother just couldn't leave him._

"_Harold?" A knock at his door got him wiping his tears off his face. _

"_What do you want? Go away!"_

"_It's your father. Can I please come in? I think we need to talk."_

_Harold wiped his face with his pillow, and sat up in his bed. His father never came to see him. He was surprised that his father even knew which room was his._

"_Yes, sir."_

_His father slowly opened the door, and looked around the room. Harold scooted to one side of the bed so that his dad could sit down. _

"_What's bothering you son?" His dad sat down next to him, but Harold noticed that he looked very uncomfortable. He was twisting his hands, and he kept glancing to the door. _

"_When's Michael coming home? I miss him," Harold asked. _

"_Ah, Michael. You're worried about your big brother? I assure you that he is safe, and he is perfectly happy. He has narrowed it down to two universities. Price is no issue of course, but he is trying to decide which one would be better for his career. He has chosen to be a lawyer. Isn't that wonderful? He will be able to help so many people. I was lucky that God blessed me with smart children. Your professors are always telling me that you are one of the smartest students that they have ever had. Your mother wants you to be a doctor like her father. Did she ever tell you that? She is so proud of both you."_

"_I haven't seen Mom since the lunch with the mayor," Harold said. Harold knew his mother didn't really like him. Michael was his first born so it was Michael who was showered with gifts and well wishes. Harold, despite his wealth, usually got seconds in everything from tutors to clothes. His mother didn't even know him. Harold didn't care. At this point in his life, he wouldn't want to start a relationship with her. She could die of a drug overdose at one of her little parties, and he just wouldn't care._

"_I'll have to set up a family dinner soon. We can get together as soon as Michael comes back. We can make it a little party for the four of us. What is your favorite dish? I can have Steward prepare it for the celebration."_

_Harold hated it when his father pretended to know him, to care about anything Harold did or said. It was all an act and Harold could see past it. His father would forget about this conversation the second he left the room, and he wouldn't think of Harold again until the professor told him how poorly Harold was doing with his lessons. _

"_I like corn beef sir." Harold forced a fake smile and his father patted him on the head._

"_Corn beef it is. I'm glad we had this talk Harold. I feel much better now. Don't you son?" Harold watched his father stand up, and walk out the door without ever looking back. Harold couldn't really blame his father. He knew that he had a lot of work to do to keep the household running smoothly, and that his dad had a lot on his mind. Harold didn't really take notice anymore that he was the last on his father's list. Knowing that his father was a bit concerned about his well being didn't really make Harold feel any better. The only person that he truly loved in this world was leaving, and the only parent he kind of knew couldn't notice the obvious. He thought that Harold was upset because his brother couldn't choose a college? His father didn't know him at all._

_Harold paced around his room for hours it seemed, but his eyes kept getting drawn to the clear liquid that he kept underneath his night stand. He knew how deadly the small vile of liquid was, but he never had cause to use it before. He didn't have cause until that night. He slipped the vile into his pocket, and walked downstairs to the main living area. It was empty for the most part, save for a few handymen running around, but they took no notice of Harold. He went into the kitchen, and saw a cup filled with ice water sitting on one of the tables. He looked both ways, and then emptied the vile into the cup. He didn't know who it belonged to, but it didn't matter. He needed this release, the release that his brother had denied him for all those weeks. He needed to see someone drink that cup. He hid behind one of the pillars while he waited. The thought crossed his mind that the drink could belong to his mother, but he didn't get his hopes up. It was late, and his mother never drank anything but red wine past 9pm._

_He only had to wait a few minutes before the cook that his father was talking about, Steward, wandered in. He put a half eaten plate of food by the sink, took the water, and drank it. Harold watched every sip, every movement that Steward's neck made as the poison seeped down his throat. Harold didn't even blink when the frightened cook grabbed at his throat as he started to choke. He fell to his knees, blood was rushing to his face, and he started coughing. Harold stayed quiet as another one of the servants ran in to see what was happening, but it was too late to save poor Steward. He fell on his side, and breathed his last with his eyes open towards where Harold was hiding. Harold felt himself release in his pants, but he would clean that up later. He snuck back upstairs when the servant called out for assistance. The cause of death would remain "undetermined", but Harold's parents hired another the next morning to replace him. Business went on as usual, and Steward's name was never mentioned in the house again._

* * *

"Sir, I am sorry to wake you," Markus said shaking Harold awake. Harold always took a nap after his lunch. It helped to settle his always busy mind. "There is a police officer at the door wanting to speak with you. I told him that you were napping, but he told me that it is urgent."

Harold stretched out his arms, rolled his neck, and yawned. His nap had been too short, and he felt a growing urge in his pants. He had been dreaming about Michael a lot lately. He blamed the young agent tied up in the guest room. They were similar in coloring and body structure which was starting to drive Harold crazy. He couldn't hold off his urges much longer. He followed Markus to the front door, and saw the police officer standing on the welcome mat. The officer was younger, probably hadn't served in office a year, and he looked terribly nervous.

"Please do forgive me sir, but we are being told to go door to door. Two agents were abducted from this area last night, and we are wondering if you have spotted them." The shaky agent held up two photographs, and handed them over to Harold. The photos were similar to the ones on the television, and Harold was wondering if he would be able to keep the pictures. Agent Reid was smiling a shy smile at the camera pointed him, and Agent Morgan looked a lot happier than in previous pictures he had seen of him.

"These are FBI agents you say? Doesn't this guy look to young to be FBI?" Harold asked pointing at Reid.

"Both of them are agents sir. They were last seen together, and they were only a few miles from your house," the officer said. Harold saw him trying to peak over his shoulder to look into his house. Harold moved his body to block the cop from seeing anymore than Harold himself. It was terribly rude to go peaking around in people's houses. Why were these two so important? His last guest had been the only daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the town. The two agents he had upstairs were virtually nobodies who wouldn't be missed once they were gone. Harold guessed from the way they were dressed that neither of them had any money, and by having a job like they did meant they didn't have much family. They were never home. Harold didn't like authorities poking around. The guests he chose were his business and his business alone. This simply wasn't going to do.

"I am terribly sorry Officer Beynett. I haven't seen either one of these fine young men. I do pray that they will be found soon. Could I help you with anything else?"

The officer turned around after re-claiming the photos, and headed back to his car. "No sir, that is all. Don't hesitate to call if you see anything suspicious or remember something."

"Of course. Oh, and Officer Beynett? Do ask the sheriff if he would be able to attend my party this weekend? The house has been empty for so long. I'm trying to bring some life into it. Tell him that he should bring his children along. I do love seeing the young ones."

"Sure. I'll ask him. Have a good day, and I'm sorry for disturbing you."

Harold watched the officer drive off, but he slammed the door behind him. How dare the authorities come poking around his house!

"Are you alright sir?" Markus asked. Harold pushed Markus aside, and ran up the series of stairs and secret doorways to where his guests were sleeping. He was throbbing in his pants, but he couldn't get over how people were actually looking for these agents. The police had never gone door to door before. Why were they so different?

He unlocked the door, and slammed the door open. Both of the guests were awake, but they were less alert than he would have liked. Agent Morgan was weakly hanging on his chains, and Agent Reid's dark circles were slowly overtaking his face. Markus was right. They weren't going to last much longer. He didn't have much time.

_YAY! Chapter 10! Fun stuff is right around the corner so um, keep reading and um reviewing and yay! reviews make me happy and making me happy keeps chapters coming faster so in conclusion: reviews=happiness=more chapters. yay for math in the world of make believe! you guys still like harold? any predictions of what will happen? _


	11. Chapter 11

"How's your back feel kid?" Morgan asked. Reid tried not to think about what was done to his back. While he couldn't get a good look at the device being used earlier, he had time to study it now that he was awake. The large piece of metal resembled a fork in many ways with long, sharp edges that would be used to rip the victim's flesh off during the seriousness of their crime. It was called the Cat's Claw, but that form of punishment hadn't been used in decades.

"I can barely feel it," Reid lied. He was thankful that the bleeding stopped, but his back burned like it was on fire. His ankles had just started to bleed because he was moving around a lot, and so most of his focus was on the damage to his wrists. From his distance, he could tell that Morgan had slashes around his wrists as well, but Reid couldn't see any detail. He was afraid to ask. He was getting thirsty, but he wasn't going to say anything. Reid really couldn't remember the last time that Morgan had a drink.

"We should keep working, somehow. Look around. What else can you see?" Reid could move a little bit more than Morgan could so he scooted towards the table. He noticed that Samantha was gone, but he wasn't going to ask Morgan when she was taken. Her poor father would soon be discovering her lifeless body, and funeral services would be taking place soon for a teenager. Reid saw all kinds of devices hanging from the walls ranging from whips to wooden racks. It looked like a perfect room to film a horror movie, but Reid didn't want to be there. He felt his heart pounding against his chest. This had to be a nightmare.

"Do you think he took us because we're FBI and we were in the way? Or because we fit the victomolgy? He tortured all of his victims, and," Morgan fell over. He cried out when the spikes dug into his wrists. Why did he trip?

"Morgan? What's wrong?"

"Just a little dizzy. I'm fine pretty boy," Morgan weakly said. Weakness and dizziness were signs of dehydration.

"Are you hungry at all?" Reid asked.

"No, but why does that matter? When this guy comes back, we need to have a plan. Maybe we find out why he took us, we can change his mind. He likes to talk. He's smart. All of this is planned out, an organized unsub who knows what he's doing. He's got money to afford this crap, and he's got a big house. This isn't a basement. There's no windows, but it isn't a basement. I can hear him walking up stairs to get here. Maybe this is some kind of attic?"

A moment went by before Reid could gather up the courage to say anything. When Tobias had him, he got to keep shirt. Tobias only kept him for two days, and Reid had a feeling that two days spent with Harold were almost up. He was starting to dizzy as well, but he pushed that feeling aside.

"I'm scared," Reid finally confessed. "I'm really scared." Reid couldn't really feel his feet, the ache in his head was getting worse, and he had the case files of this unsub memorized. The unsub tortured, raped, and killed all of his victims. If their profile was right, Morgan and Reid had yet to see Harold's bad side.

"Don't worry pretty boy. We're going to get out of here." Morgan was leaning back on the wall Reid noticed. His loss of blood with his dehydration was wearing him out. Even if Morgan was out of his chains, he wouldn't be able to do much damage anymore. They needed water.

"There we no survivors that we know of and we have no way out." Reid needed to calm himself down. It didn't help his nerves when he heard the key unlock the door. Reid stared at Morgan, but no words were spoken.

* * *

Harold looked from Morgan to Reid, and then back to Morgan. He did need to get the agent off his feet or his wrists would soon be sliced off. He walked closer to the agent, and when the agent didn't try to rip his head off, Harold knew he was losing strength.

"How are you Agent Morgan? I'm just going to loosen the grip of your chains so you can rest your legs. How does that sound?" Harold put a pair of gloves over his hands, and lowered Derek down into a sitting position. "Feel better?"Harold gently tied Derek's ankles together as the dark agent rolled his neck around to waken up the muscle.

"What do you want man?"

Harold got off the ground, and looked back over at the younger agent who was watching his every move.

"What do you fear the most Derek?"

"What?"

"Your fears? I'm sure you have a long list of them. Heights maybe? Something happening to your loved ones? Something happening to your friends?" Harold walked over to Reid, and sat down only a few feet from the boy. He liked to watch the boy tremble and make nervous glances over at the older agent.

"When you're asking me a question, look at me!" Derek yelled, but Harold paid no attention. He scooted closer to Spencer, and looked deep into his brown eyes.

"What are you scared of Agent Reid?"

"Please Harold, you don't have to do any of this. We need water. Agent Morgan is showing many symptoms of dehydration," the boy said. He pointed over at his co-worker, but Harold didn't turn around. He wasn't an idiot. Harold moved closer to the agent, and slowly sat himself across the agent's legs. He watched the boy's face pale, and his breath was caught in his throat.

"Get over here you bastard!" the other agent screamed.

"If you don't tell Agent Morgan to quiet himself up, he will surely pass out. I know that we do not know each other that well yet, but I can assure you that I am not one to call an ambulance when someone gets sick around here. It would be a shame to lose someone like him. Don't you agree Agent Reid?" Harold put his hand on Reid's upper thigh, but Reid had not moved his frightened eyes away from Harold's.

"Get your hands off of him, now!" Morgan yelled.

"It's alright Morgan. He's right. I'm fine," Reid said quietly. Harold could tell through the boy's lie, and if he could, he knew the agent could as well. "Please get your hands off of me."

Harold was amazed by the death stare that the doctor was giving him. His teeth were clenched, and his white fingers were formed in the shape of a fist. The boy had spunk. He'd give him that. Harold reached to take off the agent's belt when the boy started bucking his hips. Harold had some weight on him so the agent's attempts to throw him off were futile, but he enjoyed the short lived ride. He back handed Agent Reid across his cheek, and before Reid could recover, he punched him on the bruise in his hair. Harold knew exactly where he had hit the boy when they first met, and while the bruise was hidden in the hair, Harold didn't forget. The boy cried out which gave Harold enough time to pull the belt from around his waist. He undid the pants, and slowly guided his hand down the doctor's lower stomach.

"What's he doing over there? Reid? Reid! Talk to me!" Morgan continued shouting.

Harold passed down the boy's smooth skin, but he didn't hesitate when he felt the band of the boxers. He slipped his hand underneath the boxers, and was fully prepared for when the agent started kicking again. Harold pulled out a small needle from his breast pocket, and stuck it into the young agent's neck.

"What is that? Please! Get off of me!" he cried out.

"Reid? Is he hurting you?" Harold was glad the other agent couldn't see what was clearly going on. It left more to the imagination that way, and Harold did love a good surprise. Agent Reid was slowly becoming less conscious, and so Harold continued feeling out the boy's body. His fingers passed thin pubic hair, and he felt his own erection press hard in his pants when he found the boy's member. He rubbed his hand against it, and smiled when he saw the agent take a deep breath of air. His face was getting flustered, and he started his weak struggle again.

"You truly are beautiful…"

"Please. Please Harold, stop. Morgan!" Reid pathetically looked over at the other agent, but that only made Harold press down harder against Reid's member.

"It seems to me that you are rather enjoying this Doctor Reid," Harold smiled. The boy was trying to fight against the pleasure that was coursing through his veins, and it was rather entertaining. Harold stroked him, and enjoyed the fact that both of them were getting harder by the minute.

"I can't help it," Reid cried out. Tears were running down his face as he fought against his erection and losing all consciousness. It was losing battle. "It's a physical reaction which is something I have no control over like when a piece of dust gets it someone's nose and they sneeze." Reid's head fell back when Harold put his second hand against Reid's throbbing member. Harold smiled. The boy wouldn't be able to say another word until he was finished.

"Reid? Talk to me kid!" Morgan weakly shouted. Harold didn't even look over. Agent Morgan was going to pass out in a matter of minutes. He was going to enjoy the peacefulness that would come when Morgan collapsed. The thought of bringing some Mozart music to the guest's room quickly passed his mind. How nice would it be to have some classical music playing while his guests napped? He would have to remember for the next time he came to visit.

"Doctor Reid, how do you feel about Mozart? I do know that he is sometimes overrated, but I think he was a wonderful composer. Imagine meeting a man like that. I don't think I'd be able to ever sleep again if I could have met that man. Wonderful really." Reid didn't answer of course, and only seconds later, Harold felt his hands get wet with the boy's juices. The doctor was gasping for breath, and sweat was running down his forehead. The sweat mixing with the dried blood on his face really did nothing for Harold who was already getting up. It was interesting to note that even though he had brought the doctor an orgasm, the doctor still feared him. Harold bent over to pull the light brown hair out of the sweat and blood, and Reid fainted. Harold liked to blame the collapse more on the blood loss and the boy's dehydration. He couldn't be afraid of Harold. Harold wasn't that scary of a guy.

He saw that Agent Morgan's head was down by his chest, and his breathing was labored. It was almost perfect. He pulled out his cell phone, and wiped his hands against the wooden table. The table was one of his favorites. It would come to use again soon enough.

He pulled himself out of his pants as he stood over Morgan, and worked himself over until an orgasm came about. He breathed a sigh of relief, and almost giggled when he saw his own juices gathering around Morgan's open wounds. The agent deserved that. He would have to learn to keep his mouth shut if he wanted anything good to happen.

"Markus, I do hate to ask this of you, but could you come to see my guests? Your attention is requested immediately."

* * *

Markus climbed up the stairs, but he had to stop just outside the room to catch his breath. He would have to tell Harold that he wasn't going to do this anymore. This was too much to ask of anybody. Markus knew what his master had been doing for years, but that didn't mean that he wanted to be dragged into it. None of this was his fault.

He walked into the room with his arms behind his back. The agents were in similar places to where Markus had last seen them, and he was happier to see the darker agent on the ground. Both of them looked unconscious. Harold was leaning over the darker agent with mild curiosity.

"Sir? You asked to see me."

"Oh, yes. Markus. Would you please get rid of the boy's pants? He seems to have soiled them, and I wouldn't feel comfortable doing so."

Markus stood there looking from Harold to the young agent on the wall. He wanted him to take off the FBI agent's pants?

"Excuse me sir?"

"Yes, the boy's pants. You should take off the boxers as well. He won't be needing them any longer. Do the same with this one. Thank you Markus. I don't think I'll be wanting any dinner tonight. It's too late at this hour, but I would like some tea within the next hour or so." Harold threw the key at Markus, and left without another word.

Markus swallowed the lump in his throat, and went over to the boy. As carefully as he could, he pulled the pants down the agent's legs and off his feet. He wasn't surprised to see that the pants were already undone, and that the belt was missing. Markus tried to ignore the damp spot in the center of the pants, and he threw them by the door. He looked back down, and got a good look at the open scratches on the agent's back, and how pale his complexion was. He was wearing light blue boxers that seemed loose around the boy's slender waist. Markus basically closed his eyes as he pulled the boxers off the agent's body. He almost tripped over himself as he got himself off of the agent, and he tossed the boxers over by the pants.

"Sir?"

A foreign voice did make Markus trip over the wet pants by the door. He looked around and saw the older agent start to move around. Markus couldn't stop his heart from pounding. This wasn't supposed to happen. They weren't supposed to wake up.

"Oh my God. Please help us man. My friend's hurt." Markus watched the man struggle to move closer to him, but it didn't look like he could even keep his head up for that long. Did Harold ever give them a drink? Something was definitely wrong with this agent. He looked sick.

"Please. We're FBI agents, both of us. If you could just let the kid go." The agent looked over where the younger one was, and his eyes got wider when he saw the boy was missing his pants.

"What the hell? Where did his clothes go? Please help us! Please man." He was crying, and Markus felt ill inside. He had to get out of here. Harold would probably scold him later for not getting both of their pants, but he couldn't stay. He picked up the boy's clothes, and locked the door behind him. Markus slipped the key into his pocket, and stood by the staircase. He felt tears forming in his own eyes, and he could still hear the pleas of the agent in the locked room. He kept assuring himself that he could do nothing. This was Harold's game, not his.

* * *

Hotch watched Prentiss and J.J. go into their hotel rooms, and lock the door behind them. Rossi knew that Hotch was killing himself inside over this. He never let any of the agents go anywhere alone, and he made sure that they were safely inside their rooms at night. Black circles were under his eyes, and Rossi noticed that Hotch was barely eating.

"Hotch, you need to sleep in a little bit tomorrow. I'll get everything going, and if we find out anything, you'll be the first to know. You're not in any condition to help the team like this."

"I know, but"

"Don't say that. Just rest up, and make sure you eat something before you go to bed. Imagine what Morgan will say when he comes back and sees that you are skinnier than Reid!"

Hotch didn't laugh or even smile. He nodded more to himself than to Rossi, and went into his own room. Rossi fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow that night. At the rate they were going, the entire team would be sick by the time they found Morgan and Reid. Garcia hadn't called any of them since J.J. sent her the pictures. Prentiss had closed herself off to the others more than usual, and Hotch was exhausting every lead that he could find. Rossi was afraid that if Hotch didn't find his head, they would be searching every house in the state to find the missing agents. Rossi liked to think that he was keeping his cool for the most part, but he still got chills inside whenever he thought about Morgan tied up to that wall or the youngest on their team unconscious on the floor. He tried not to imagine what was next to come.

_Hi guys! It's me again. Non con in the next chapter, just giving you the heads up and um, the review button just LOVES it when you click on it cuz then it tells me that people want to read more so i write faster so yeppies. the circle of life =)_


	12. Chapter 12

Maria poured the hot tea into the cup, and put it by the edge of the counter for Markus to deliver it. It was strange that Harold didn't want dinner, but she never questioned things like that. The less she knew about Harold, the better. He had no family, and he didn't have any friends that would visit him. It was strange, but she kept her mind busy with other things. She wanted to go to college, and Mama had suggested that she got a job to raise the money. House work was a simple job, and Harold did pay her more than the average housekeeper got, but something was going on in that house. The manor was huge. She hadn't had time to explore all of the different wings and secret passageways, but something was wrong.

Markus hurried in the room moments later looking sweaty and disheveled. He put the cup onto a tray without turning to see Maria.

"Are you alright?" She moved closer to him, and helped steady the tray. His hands were badly shaken, and if she didn't know any better, she would have thought he saw a ghost.

"Is the tea warm?"

"Yes, but". She put her hand on his sleeve and saw a red stain underneath the elbow. She removed her hand, and stared wide eyed at him. "Is that blood? Did you cut yourself?"

He turned away from her, and left without another word. She retired to her room, but she couldn't get the image of the red stain out of her mind. Markus seemed scared almost, but why didn't he tell her why? Harold could be beating him, and if that was the case, she wanted out of the job. She knew there was something mental going on with Harold.

She didn't sleep much that night. She couldn't even get herself underneath the covers. She kept herself awake, and tried to listen for any noises that weren't normal for the old house night. She heard sounds like mice scurrying around in the corridors, and she heard Timothy barking at something for a few minutes, but nothing really stood out. She woke up extra early, before the sun was even out, and she went to explore the manor. Harold wouldn't wake up for at least another hour, and the rest of the staff wouldn't be waking before the sun so she would have the house to herself.

Maria almost felt like she needed a nap as she set off on her adventure. There were so many turns and old rooms that had not been used for centuries. She chose to venture off into the west wing because that was the direction that Markus had come from last night. If anything was going on that was against the law, it would be in this part of the house. She started having a panic attack when she climbed up a second flight of stairs. She had never been in this section before, and there was dust all along old pictures on the walls. She grasped her hand around the cell phone in her pocket, and she took a sip out of the water bottle she brought along. She had been lost in the house before. She wasn't going to go without water or a phone again.

She turned another corner, and saw three rooms that led to a dead end. She was about to turn around when she heard a strange noise. It almost sounded like whimpering. She passed the first two rooms which were dead quiet, and put her ear against the third room in the hallway.

"There was another man in here Reid! I saw him!" a voice from inside said. The voice was weak, and he sounded tired.

Maria found a key hanging on the wall, and she unlocked the door. She held her breath, but she couldn't stop the pounding in her chest. Maybe these were criminals that Harold had locked away up here. She had heard rumors that the chambers in this wing were used for prisoners at one time, and maybe Harold had found the men responsible for all the murders she had seen on the news lately.

The voice got quiet as she pushed the door open. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark lighting, and she put her hand to her cell phone again. There was a wooden table in the middle of the room, and she saw all kinds of weapons that she didn't even knew existed. She started to breathe heavier, and she backed out of the room when she saw someone chained to the wall. It looked like a boy, not much older than her. His skin was almost whiter than snow, and she could see blood dried on the side of his face. He looked naked, but it was hard to tell. His legs were curled up by his chest, but he was awake.

"Hello?" she meekly said. The boy looked harmless. Even if he was a dangerous criminal, his wrists and ankles were both tied up. He couldn't hurt her if he wanted to.

"Who are you?" a voice from the other side of the room asked. She looked over her, and saw another man tied up in a very similar fashion. This man had deep slashes across his chest, but he still had pants on. He looked sick.

"My name is Maria. I work here, in the house. Who are you guys?" She looked from one man to another. Both of them had been beaten, and she was surprised they were still conscious.

"We're in a house? Are we upstairs?" the younger of the two asked.

"Yes. Who are you? What are you doing here?" Maria wasn't going to tell them anything else until she got some answers. They could be criminals, and she would feel sick if she was helping out the guys who murdered all those people.

"My name is Derek Morgan," the darker one slowly said.

"Please, do you have any water? Please?" the pale one asked. "Please?"

Maria felt the water bottle in her pocket. Even in the dark, she could see their cracked lips and the desperation in their eyes. She couldn't deny anyone water. It didn't matter if they were killers. Denying someone a drink was torture in itself.

"I'll give you some water, but if either one of you makes any sudden moves, I'm getting out of here. Got it?" Both of them weakly nodded so she headed over to the older agent first. He could barely keep his head up. She leaned his head back, and dripped some of the water into his mouth. His cracked lips were bleeding, and she was careful not to touch the wounds scattering around his chest. His tongue splashed around the water greedily, and he would have drunk the entire body if she had let him. She pulled the water away when about half of it was gone. She repeated the process with the younger man who drank the water just as quickly. She would had let him drink all of it, but she was afraid of getting lost on the way back downstairs so she pulled the bottle away when he had a quarter of it. She felt bad for giving him less water than the other man, but she needed some for herself too. She put the cap back on, and went in the center of the room so she could get a good look at the two men.

"Okay, who are you guys?" She cringed when she saw their bleeding wrists, and she wondered how long their arms had been suspended above their heads like that.

"My name is Derek Morgan," the darker man said again. "The kid over there is Spencer Reid. We are with the FBI."

"FBI?" That didn't make sense. How could Harold have tied up the FBI in the west wing?

"Yes ma'am," Reid said. "We are in the behavioral analysis unit."

"Could you please get these chains off? We're not going to hurt you. Our team is looking for us."

Maria took a step towards the door. They had to be lying.

"Prove to me that you're FBI. Does Harold know you're up here?"

Morgan looked her straight in the eye, and that was almost proof enough that he wasn't lying. He looked scared.

"I'm sure that they have our pictures posted on the news, and they've mentioned our names on the radio…" Maria thought back. They had posted photos, but she never looked twice. She couldn't remember what the pictures looked like. "Harold is the one who put us up here."

"Harold wouldn't do that. He likes the police and stuff."

"Then could you call the police and tell them that we are here?" Reid asked. His brown eyes looked like they were about to cry. Even if they were bad guys, Harold shouldn't have been beating them like this. There was dark blood on the wall behind the boy, and she didn't want to think about what his back looked like. "And please, bring more water. I'm really thirsty."

"How long have you guys been up here?"

"We don't know," Morgan said.

"He snuck up behind us at a crime scene. Harold is a very dangerous man. Just get out of this house, and call the police when you know that he can't find you," Reid said. He had shifted closer in her direction, and saw that his ankles were bleeding again. She felt like she was going to throw up. She bent down closer to Agent Reid, and brushed her fingers against the spikes in his chains. This was for real. These two men were going to die if she didn't do something.

"Alright. What are your names again?" She pulled out her cell phone, and looked at the older agent who seemed talkative enough to answer any questions the police might ask.

"Agents Derek Morgan and Dr. Spencer Reid with the FBI. When you call, ask to speak with Special Agent Aaron Hotchner," Morgan said.

"You probably shouldn't call up here," Reid said. "Do you know where Harold is?"

"Thank you so very kindly for wanting to know my whereabouts Agent Reid," an all too familiar voice said. Maria turned around, and dropped the phone when she saw Harold standing at the doorway.

"Sir? I was just" Maria could barely talk. She looked quickly at the two agents who were just as surprised as she was. Harold bent up, and picked up the phone she had dropped on the phone.

"Oh Maria. It is such a shame that you feel it was necessary to go poking around in my house. I wanted you to entertain the guests at my party. I really did."

"Don't touch the girl you son of a bitch!" Morgan yelled. Maria saw him tugging against his chains, and she backed towards him. Even with him tied up against a wall, she felt safer being near him. Maria glanced at Reid who looked like he was crying, but he wasn't. There were no tears dripping down his face. They were both dehydrated. They weren't lying.

"Sir? Who are these people? Are they really with the FBI? They are both sick. They need to go to the hospital sir." She got to as close to Morgan as she possibly could, and Morgan shielded her legs with his body. Harold was casually walking towards her, and to her dismay, he had picked off one of the weapons from the long walls.

"Don't touch her!" Reid shouted. He was tugging against his chains at well, but it seemed to Maria that they were causing more damage to themselves than any help to Maria.

"Dear Maria, I saw you speaking with them. You should know by now that I have film cameras all around the house so I can watch for any sneaky thieves. Imagine my surprise when I wake up, and see one of my newest servants talking to my guests."

"Guests sir?" The two agents tied up were not guests. They were prisoners. She couldn't get her eyes off the club that Harold was holding. He couldn't hurt her. He was just trying to scare her. She felt Morgan trying to stand up, but he couldn't move his feet to a standing position.

"Get away from her. The police are going to have your ass unless you put down the weapon now!"

"I truly will miss your help Maria. You were a very sweet girl," Harold licked his lips. "A true beauty, but you know what they say. Curiosity kills the cat."

"Sir? You're scaring me."

Harold raised the club to the girl's forehead, and slammed it down. She never screamed. She fell in a clump by Morgan's legs, but he didn't stop. He hit the club down on her head again, and again, and again. She had to learn to respect her elders. He only stopped beating her when her face was beyond recognition. Morgan had turned away, and Reid was still weakly shouting in the background. Harold smiled down at his work, and put the club back in its place. He came back to the body when he felt something wet on his cheek. He put his finger to the spot, and wiped blood from his face. After all these years of entertaining guests, he had never once thought of tasting how sweet they really were. He put his forefinger in his mouth, and sucked the blood. He closed his eyes as he let the taste linger in his mouth. It was delicious. She was delicious.

"Let us go man. Please." Harold noticed the water bottle in Maria's pocket, and that explained why his guests were so alert. He damned the girl to hell for interrupting his guest's routine. Her body would never be found.

"Why did you have to kill her? She was just a girl," Agent Reid said.

"Oh gentlemen, it is much too early to have any intelligent conversation. I will return later. My party is tonight, and I need to start preparing." He picked Maria up by her dark hair, and poured the rest of the water from the bottle onto the wooden table. He smiled when he saw the devastation in both Morgan and Reid's faces. He knew that they were praying that he would leave the bottle, but he wasn't stupid. "I did, however, pick a nice painting that would look just lovely by the lamp. You will just love it Dr. Reid. It is magnificent." Harold smiled at his guests, and dragged Maria out of the room by her hair. He didn't notice the trail of blood that she was leaving behind, but he was anxious to sample her sweet taste again. He had never before been so hungry. The taste of blood woke up every sense inside of him.

Reid watched his attacker drag the dead girl out of the room, and he closed his eyes. Morgan was shaken up, but at least both of them had something to drink.

"She was just a kid," Morgan said.

"She said she worked in the house. That mean there are more people here than just Harold and the other man you saw. Harold probably has many servants. Another one will probably find us soon."

"Reid, the girl didn't tell anyone else where she was going. She snuck off from the rest which is probably why she was clinging onto her cell phone the whole time. I don't think anyone else will come looking up here for a while. What did Harold do to you? I don't remember him taking the rest of your clothes."

Reid kept his legs up by his chest to give himself as much privacy as he could. He wanted to curl his arms up as well, but his arms were still above his head. He was still terribly thirsty, and he felt like a part of him die when Harold wasted the rest of the water Maria had brought.

"It was nothing that I couldn't handle Morgan." Reid said. It wasn't any of Morgan's business what Harold did to him. It wouldn't help them in any way to make Reid relive the sexual assault. If he didn't think about it, it wouldn't plague his dreams.

"Don't do this to yourself again kid. I won't get on your butt now, but we are going to have to talk as soon as Hotch finds us. Deal?"

"Deal," Reid said nodding his head. "Harold mentioned having a party tonight. More people will be in the house, and Maria told us that Harold liked the authorities. Do you think the police will be here?"

"We only need one person in the house to find us. I don't care if they are police or not. I'll settle for anyone with a cell phone. We need to get out of this hell hole."

_Hi again loyal reader peoples! Thanks again for the lovely reviews, and don't forget that the reivew button just LOVES it when you click on it to tell me what you think of the story. just to tell you again, there WILL BE non con in the next chapter. i just want to make that clear. it seems that there has been some kind of confusion with that. i find that funny because i do mention that there will be non con in the summary of my story before you even click on it. anyways, please review!_


	13. Chapter 13

J.J. woke up with a start. Hair was sticking to her face with sweat, and her heart was pounding from the nightmares that plagued her sleep. The knocking on her door told her that she had a more terrifying nightmare to deal with during her waking hours.

"J.J.? You there?" Prentiss called.

J.J. brushed her hair back, and glanced into a mirror before opening the door. It looked like she had been hit by a truck. Dark circles were underneath her eyes, and her skin was whiter than it normally was. All she could think about was those photographs of Morgan and Reid chained to those walls. The fact that Reid wasn't alone wasn't much of a comfort to her anymore.

"Hey," J.J. said. Prentiss had her hair and makeup already done. It looked like she was ready to go.

"You okay? Hotch and Rossi already left for the station. They thought you should sleep in a little bit longer. You were exhausted yesterday. I stayed behind to wait for you." Prentiss followed J.J. inside. She didn't know what time it was, but J.J. needed her coffee. She poured a cup, and turned to the sugar, but she stopped. Flashbacks of happier times in the office flashed through her brain: Reid pouring some coffee into his sugar, Reid spilling coffee all over Morgan's lap, and Morgan trying to murder Reid for getting his pants wet. J.J. had to force back the tears.

"I'm alright. What time is it? Are there anymore leads?" J.J. chose to drink her coffee black. She hated black coffee, but she would drink it until Morgan and Reid were safely home.

"It's just after 10am. Garcia did call about an hour or so ago. The room that they are in isn't a basement. She couldn't tell what the walls were made of, but she didn't think it was a factory or an old warehouse. It must be in a house."

J.J. nodded. A house was a better lead than nothing, but only God knew how many houses there were in this town. Reid had mentioned that their unsub might be rich.

"It's going to be alright J.J. We're going to find them," Prentiss said putting her hand on J.J.'s shoulder. J.J. turned around, and hugged onto Prentiss.

"I can't even remember the last thing I said to them. I think I was making fun of Reid's sleeping picture. Oh my God, they must be so scared. What's he doing to them?"

"Morgan is strong, and Reid is a lot stronger than we give him credit for. They're going to get out of this. Neither one of them would want to see you crying like this."

"I know," J.J. pulled away and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Okay, let me go get dressed really fast. I can't help anyone lying around in my pajamas all day long."

"You should probably start putting sugar and cream in your coffee too. Black coffee is pretty nasty if you ask me," Prentiss called as J.J. disappeared into the bedroom.

* * *

Rossi sat down the case files after reviewing them for what seemed like the 100th time. He would have all of the information memorized if he looked again. He knew that Hotch didn't sleep last night, and while he didn't get much sleep himself, he slept more than the rest of the team did. They were ripping themselves apart trying to get their lost friends back. He didn't think he had ever seen them working so hard. Rossi wasn't there when Reid had been abducted the first time. He had heard all kinds of stories of what happened, but he imaged that the team clung to each other like they were doing now. They needed the comfort of each other more than ever. They were more than just co-workers. They were a family.

"Guys, guess whose having a party tomorrow night!" one of the younger officers exclaimed. Rossi didn't normally listen in on other's conversations, but it seemed more interesting than watching Hotch go over the previous victims.

"Who? You're invited? Better not be that mother of yours. She can't cook man."

"Shut up Ken. It's Harold. He sent out invitations for the party, and it looks like we're all invited. Have you ever been in that guy's house? It's massive!"

All of the officers started talking at once so Rossi was unnoticed as he picked up the invite. It looked normal enough. The only thing that really stuck out to him was the fact that Harold invited both the police at the "hard working federal agents". It wasn't a secret that the FBI were in town, but it seemed odd that someone would invite the agents to a party. He walked over to Hotch, and handed him over the invitation.

"Do we know anything about this Harold Caldwell?" Rossi asked.

"I don't think I've heard the name before," Hotch said looking over the card.

"I think we should go," J.J. said coming in the office with Prentiss. "It looks like the guy lives in a huge house, and Reid was saying a while ago that our unsub might be wealthy. Garcia said that the pictures of Morgan and Reid were in a house. I think it's worth a shot."

"Ok, well then I guess we should make an appearance at this party," Hotch said putting the card on the table. "If this is the guy we're looking for, he's extremely smart. He's going to know what we're looking for, and he's going to be ready for us."

"I can handle it," J.J. said quickly. Rossi noticed that she was kind of shaky. The others had told him that Reid's abduction had been the hardest on her. They separated during the case, and that was the reason that Reid was taken. She had been blaming herself for what happened to him.

"I'll go with her," Rossi said moving next to J.J. "We can look around the house, and if we see anything funny going on, we'll call."

Hotch handed the invite over to Rossi. The party wasn't until the next night, but he had to go over some rules to follow with J.J. If this was the unsub, every move they made was vital. The ubnsub most likely already knew who they were, and what they were about. The goal was to beat this guy at his own game.

"And Prentiss, could you call Garcia and have her look up some information on Harold Caldwell?" Hotch asked.

"I'm on it," Prentiss said pulling her cell phone out.

* * *

After breakfast, Harold strolled into the upstairs room. As promised, he brought one of his favorite paintings to bring some joy into his guest's hearts. He hung the painting on the wall that was closest to the door so both of his guests would be able to look at it as they fell asleep at night. He turned around and smiled to see that they were both awake. Derek Morgan looked like he was doing much better now that he was on the ground like his friend. He still cursed Maria for giving them water. That wasn't part of the plan.

"I trust that both of you slept well. Too much sleep can be a bad thing though. Don't worry boys. I'll take care of you," he said circling around them. Derek's wounds on his chest were starting to heal up very nicely, but the scratches on his wrists still looked pretty bad. He brought that upon himself. If Derek chose to act like a gentleman, he would be in much better shape. Harold bent over to look over Derek's face when Derek spit at him. Harold pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped the spit off his cheek as calmly as possible. Derek would pay for that.

Harold walked over to look at the boy next, and it looked like he could barely keep his eyes open. His skin still looked much too pale, and his eyes looked like they were falling back into the sockets. He kept his legs up by his chest, still trying to protect whatever privacy he still had.

"Lean forward Agent Reid. I would like to look at your back," Harold said. He saw the kid glance over at the other agent, but he slowly leaned forward. It was hard to see with the dark lighting, but Harold knew the wounds weren't healing properly. They were much larger than the last time he saw them. The scrapes looked painful to the touch, and he knew they had become swollen because of infection. He kept reminding Markus to clean the wall in between his guests, but the lazy man never seemed to have the time. Harold backed away without touching the bloody back. Harold wasn't about to get himself sick right before his party.

"I hope both of you enjoy my painting," Harold said walking towards the black wall behind the table. "It is one of my favorites. I got it at an old art show downtown. Can you believe that they just wanted to throw this masterpiece away?" Harold looked over his toys on the wall. He had used all of them before, and he didn't have any favorites. He got them from estate sales, souvenirs from exotic vacations, and even online auctions had a few priceless gems that were to Harold's liking.

"Could you please tell us why you're doing this?" Reid asked. Harold was surprised at the sound of his gentle voice. He was so used to Morgan's threats that he almost didn't hear the younger agent speak up. Harold picked up one of his old flails from the shelf, and looked around at Morgan. Morgan was staring at Harold with nothing but hatred in his brown eyes.

"Why am I doing this? You ask why I am doing this Doctor Reid? Do you mean to you and your friend individual or do you mean for all of the guests that I have had in this room prior to your arrival? Are you asking this as a pathetic plea for your life to be saved? Let me tell this to both of you. Your lives do not matter. You may think that you are both spectacular men who spend their lives protecting others from people like me, but who will really miss you when you are gone? Your little team will mourn for a while, and I am sure that you will be missed by your mothers, but they will move on. They will move on, and you will be forgotten." Harold walked over to Morgan, and tied the chains to the table so Morgan was on his stomach.

"Let me go you son of a bitch!" Morgan shouted. Harold wouldn't have dared to move the older agent anytime before, but Morgan was weakened from the lack of water and food. Blood loss probably contributed in some way to his slower body movements, but that was all better for Harold. Harold roughly kicked him on the side of his rib cage, and Morgan gasped in pain.

"That's for spitting on me Mr. Morgan. Remember your manners in my house!" Harold raised the flail to Morgan's muscular back, and slammed it down with the strength from a big breakfast and a good night's sleep. Morgan screamed, and blood splattered onto Harold's face. Harold smiled in delight. What fun this was!

"Stop it!" Reid was struggling against his leash, but Harold could care less. If he cut off his own hands because he wouldn't be quiet, that was his own fault. Hands were overrated, but the young doctor did have beautiful hands. If he lost them due to his own stupidity, Harold would love to collect the hands to keep them in his room. He loved beauty of all forms.

Harold slapped the flail into Morgan's back for a second time, and watched the blood squirt out of his back. Morgan screamed again, and was fighting to break the table he was chained to. Harold couldn't even count how many people had tried to do that before. He yanked Morgan away from the table, and tied him back onto the wall. He left four open wounds across his back, and Harold was thankful that flails had two spiked metal chains on them instead of just one like a common whip. Clean skin could barely be seen on Morgan's back, and this made Harold happy. Morgan was out of his breath, but he wasn't sweating or crying. Maria hadn't given them that much water after all.

He replaced the reddened flail back onto his shelf, and looked around for another toy that would satisfy him until lunch time. Harold was no doctor, but the ripped flesh across Reid's back looked painful in and of itself. Repeating what he did with Morgan, he dragged the younger man across the floor where he tied the chain to the table. Reid wasn't crying, but his body was trembling with fear. He wouldn't be able to take another beating in his current condition and survive. Puss was starting to drip out of the raised skin on his back, and the boy was warm to the touch with a fever. Harold smile down at him. He was so much like Michael. Out of the two brothers, Harold knew he had always been the stronger one. Michael would throw a fit whenever he got a scratch on his knee or when he bruised an elbow. Harold never cried. He had Reid turned over on his stomach so he could show off his handy work to the other agent. He saw Morgan staring at Reid's back with wide eyes, but he didn't say anything. He probably wouldn't say one word to the boy until Harold left, but that didn't bother Harold.

"Do tell me, young doctor, what are the effects of lemon juice on open wounds?" Harold went searching through one of the desks, and found an old bottle of the yellow juice. He hadn't used it in years, but he could still remember the screams that the liquid caused. He turned around to the doctor who was staring at him with his jaw slightly open.

"What?" he whispered.

"How about this question instead…effects of lemon juice on infected wounds?" He put the lid on the table and walked closer to the boy who was trying to scoot away.

* * *

Reid was able to ignore the burning in his back, and he kept telling himself that he would be out of there soon enough. A doctor would look him, and everything would be better. Reid was more upset about the bloody marks left all over Morgan's chest and now his back. When Harold dragged Reid away to the table, he assumed that he would get a similar beating. While he feared the beating, he accepted it.

He was tied to the leg of the table on his stomach, but Reid tried not to pay attention to what Harold was doing. He looked over to see how badly Morgan's chest looked, but Morgan was giving him the oddest stare. Reid felt a lump in his throat. Reid was still wishing that he wasn't naked, but Morgan was gaping at Reid's back.

"Do tell me, young doctor, what are the effects of lemon juice on open wounds?" Reid turned his head to look at Harold who was holding a large bottle of juice. Was his back still bleeding? He felt that it was wet, and it burned like his skin was going to fall off, but he didn't know it was still an open wound.

"What?" Reid felt himself start to tug at the table, and he tried backing away from his attacker. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't catch his breath, and he felt his heart pounding against his rib cage. Why wasn't the team there yet? The team had found him after two days of being tortured with Henkle. Hasn't it been two days yet? He started making small noises that resembled what he sounded like when he cried, but no tears fell.

"How about this question instead…effects of lemon juice on infected wounds?" Harold walked closer to Reid with the lid off the bottle. Reid couldn't escape. He knew Morgan was watching, and Morgan was shouting something, but all Reid could see was the old bottle and Harold's smiling face. Reid tried to hide his back from Harold, but he couldn't move far without ripping more flesh from his wrists and ankles. All he could do was close his eyes as Harold dripped the lemon juice on his back. The second the juice hit one of the rips on Reid's back, he screamed. His back arched, and he pushed his shoulder blades together in an attempt to get the juice out of his skin. The fired pain only lasted for a few moments, but Reid was out of breath by the time it went away. His vision was blurred, and he felt sick.

"See? Now, that wasn't too bad Dr. Reid. I wonder how it would feel if I accidently dropped the whole bottle?"

"Get…your hands…off…him," Morgan said. Reid could see him with his shaky vision, and he tried rolling onto his back again.

"Oh Morgan, I don't believe you could be the life of any party. Could you? Would you like to try some lemon juice?" Reid saw Harold start to walk towards Morgan with the bottle. Morgan was already hurt enough. This torture was meant for Reid, not Morgan. Reid stuck out his foot in Harold's path, and Reid closed his eyes when Harold tripped over him. Harold didn't say anything when he came back over to Reid, and Reid didn't look at him. Reid held his breath as Harold poured the entire bottle of lemon juice down into Reid's open wounds. There was a second of hesitation as the juice slipped into the blood and puss in Reid's back. When the pain finally came, Reid felt like he was being burned at the stake. He screamed with his head back and his eyes shut tightly. He felt his hands form into fists, and he could almost hear his back sizzling with the blood and juice. He screamed for as long as he could, but he couldn't catch his breath back. A second scream escaped his lips, but he couldn't take anymore. He heard Morgan shouting again, and he thought he heard Harold saying something else, but Reid didn't know what they said. His eye lids dropped, and his body fell back on the ground.

_So guys, chapter 13...wow...never thought it'd get this far but you guys seem to like it. =) yay! harold would like it if he knew everybody wuved him so very much. as usual, the review button needs love or she is going to be super angry so um there! lol, thanks for reading!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Sorry for the super long delay you guys. I know it's been like forever and you guys are writing me wondering if I died. lol. I'm still alive. I was in LA for a week, but now I'm back. I'll be going to LA again in mid July, but hopefully, the story will be finished by then. Thank you guys for being such DEDICATED readers, and thanks for your continued support. The party will be the next chapter, promise, and that chapter will be AMAZINGNESS. so, um, yay!_

Harold wiped the blood off his face with his handkerchief, and put it back into his pocket. He would have to remember to drop it in the laundry room on his way back downstairs. He picked up the camera he left by the painting, and walked over to the unconscious doctor on the floor. He bent down with the camera, and focused in on the boy's sleeping face.

"Don't you just love the concept of the photograph Derek? It is more than just clicking a button on this contraption. It is a way of freezing a moment in time. We may not be able to relive any moments in our lives, but we can visit them time and time again in the pictures we take." Harold kneeled down so he could get the best possible shots of the blood oozing from Dr. Reid's back, and the yellow puss around the wounds. The last picture was of the pretty brown hair on Reid's head still stuck to the dried blood from the original attack. Harold would have to start making albums of the time he enjoyed with his guests. He had never thought about it until now.

He dragged Reid back over to the wall, and chained his arms over his head. Harold wondered how badly it would hurt when he finally lowered the doctor's arms. Only time would truly tell. He bent down and gave the boy a small kiss on the cheek before he turned around to look at the other agent.

"Did you just kiss him?" Harold could tell the other agent was getting himself all rallied up again. "Did you just kiss Reid? Answer me you son of a bitch!" Morgan yelled.

Harold sat down next to Reid, and pushed the boy's legs to the floor. As soon as Harold made sure that Morgan was watching, he put one of his hands on Reid's thigh. He ran his tongue over his lips as he trailed up the lean thigh, but he stopped his hand at the tip of Reid's member. Morgan looked as though he would turn into the giant hulk in a matter of seconds with larger biceps and green skin. Harold wasn't worried a bit though. His tutors assured him that giant hulk was nothing more than the imagination of an old man who never touched a woman in his entire life. He raised his hand a bit further, and let his fingers wrap around Reid's member.

"What? You don't like me touching him like this?" Harold started to massage Reid, and enjoyed watching Morgan struggle like a newborn kitten.

"Please man, stop. He doesn't deserve this. He's just a kid!" Morgan stopped fighting at his chains, and looked at Harold with saddened eyes. Harold was glad that after all this time; he had finally learned that cutting his own wrists wouldn't help anyone.

Harold tightly squeezed Reid in his hand, and he felt himself awaken with the excitement, but he removed his hand. He still had time yet to play with the boy. He picked up his camera, and after snapping a shot of the boy's entire body, he went over to Morgan. The darker agent could barely keep his eyes open, but Harold started snapping pictures anyway. He was only on the third picture when the agent fell unconscious. Harold delicately leaned Morgan forward to get pictures of his back as well as his chest. He took one of Morgan's sleeping face, and then Harold felt satisfied. He would have Markus deliver the photos to the rest of the agents later that day.

Harold locked the door behind him, and went to go find Timothy. He wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon reading from one of his books in the sun room. It was still hot outside, but he loved how beautiful his front yard looked. He took great pride in selecting only the best flowers for the walkways around his house, and he loved to watch the leaves from his trees blow in the wind.

* * *

Markus laid the mail out on Harold's in table, and growled under his breath when he saw another collection of photos waiting to be delivered. He carefully put the envelope in his pocket, and picked up the shopping list of items needed for the party. Harold kept his pantry full of a variety of foods in case someone ever came to actually visit him, but in all of Markus' time working for him, that never happened. The list was more full of foods and drinks that little children would like. The irony of what Harold did in the upstairs rooms was that he really did love kids, and he had a room in one of the wings dedicated to his future child. That freaked Markus out on more than one level. He was upstairs torturing two innocent men who had done nothing to him, but he wanted a child to raise. If God was watching, Markus knew he would be struck down dead on the spot. As much as he wanted to solely blame Harold on the future murders of the two agents, he was just as guilty as Harold was. He knew what was happening, and he didn't stop it.

He jumped when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He had been a little on edge lately, and he hadn't been sleeping well. He couldn't the face of the young agent out of his mind or the other one begging for his help. If they were killed up in that room, Markus would never be able to forgive himself. Markus pulled out his cell phone, and answered it without seeing who was calling.

"Hello."

"Hey Markus! It's me silly bean." The voice of his little sister was like music to his ears.

"Oh hey, how are you?"

"I can't thank you enough for the extra money. God knows that I need it. I went to church every day last week to pray for a miracle. I can't believe this!" She sounded ecstatic over the phone. This was all the reason he needed to keep his mouth shut about Harold's adventures. "Maybe with extra money, I could bring the kids up there to visit you. I don't think I've ever met Harold. He sounds like a very generous man."

"Harold doesn't know how to act around children," Markus lied. He wasn't going to let his sister anywhere near that house while he was alive. While Harold seemed more partial to men than women, he still killed women.

"Oh, what a bummer. Well, maybe you could visit us sometime. I don't think I'd want to be up there anyway until that serial killer dude is caught. It's always on the news. I'm a few hours away, but it's scary over here too. They keep saying never go anywhere alone, and then I'm this single mother with two kids. I never leave the house at night anymore." Markus would never let that sicko hurt his sister. He vowed his life on that. Harold knew very little about Markus' personal life, and he was going to keep it that way.

"I don't think he'd end up in your town. You're too far away."

"Did you hear that the creep kidnapped two FBI agents? This is so scary. The more I think about it, the more I want you here with me. The apartment isn't big enough for both you and Harold though. Is Harold scared? I guess not. He's got that big old mansion house. I guess I'd feel safer in there too. Do you think those agents are dead?"

"I don't know. How are the"

"They must be so scared if they are still alive. Can you visit me on Sunday? We should go to church together. We need to pray for them. One of them looked younger than me. And the kids miss you. You never stop by anymore." Markus knew the agents were scared, and he was positive the one agent was younger than his sister.

"I'll see if I can," Markus said starting the engine of the car. "Harold is having some rich people party tomorrow."

"Harold is handsome. Why isn't he married yet?"

"He's dating," Markus lied again. Harold was very handsome, he was smart, and he knew how to charm almost anyone he ever talked to, but Markus had a feeling he would never marry. Markus would go shopping after he dropped off the photos. He didn't want those pictures anywhere near him, and he wasn't going to look at them.

"Kyle wants to talk to you," Anne said. Kyle was her oldest child. He would be turning six years old in just a few months. Markus had only seen him a few times, but he was the closest thing to a father that Kyle had.

"I can't right now," Markus said. He parked a few streets away from the police station, and a million ideas were going through his mind of how to drop off the pictures. He couldn't do it the same way he did last time. He knew that people would be watching. Harold was the most wanted man in the United States. He imagined more FBI agents would be sent in if Harold wasn't caught soon. Markus didn't really want him to be caught. He didn't like to think about how that would change his life.

"Oh," Anne said quietly. He heard his nephew asking questions in the background, and he heard the little baby crying.

"I'm sorry. Harold has me running errands, and he would kill me if he caught me on the phone."

"No problem. You can just talk to him when we go to church." Their parents had been devout Catholics while they were growing up. After they died, Anne had started going to church more while Markus stopped going altogether. He never told his sister.

"Sure. I'll try to pick up the kids presents too. Kyle likes toy cars? What does the baby like?"

"Kyle likes toy trains. And your niece's name is Cistine. I named her, remember? Kyle was named after his father's father. I never liked that name much." Markus did remember the huge fight his sister had with her ex husband over the name of her first born. Markus couldn't be more proud of her that she left him.

"Yes, I remember. Does she like dolls yet?"

"I named her, remember? Kyle was named after his father's father. I never liked that name much." Markus did remember the huge fight his sister had with her ex husband over the name of her first born. Markus couldn't be more proud of her that she left him.

"Yes, I remember. Does she like dolls yet?"

"She pretty much likes anything that is pink or makes noise. Nothing small though. She's still just a little baby, and she loves to stick things in her mouth."

"I'll get them the best toys money can buy. Don't tell them though. It will be a surprise," Markus said wiping the sweat off his brow. He could see the police station in front of him with the shiny black SUVs sitting out front.

"Why has Harold been paying you extra?"

"I've been…helping him get ready for this huge party tomorrow. It takes a lot of work, and Harold likes to have a small staff so he knows everyone better."

"Makes sense. You're lucky to have such a nice job."

Harold pulled his gloves over his hands, and took out the envelope. It was now or never.

"I've got to go sis. I'll see about asking for Sunday off."

"Alright. Please don't work too hard Markus, and please be careful. I'm still scared that there's a killer loose and he's in your area. I don't want to lose my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother."

"I know," she laughed. "I love you lots and lots."

"Love you. Bye." He hung up the phone before she could say anything else. His sister had a bad habit of talking up a storm. He took out a marker to properly address the envelope: to the federal agents, and he stuck it in the back of mail truck while the mailman was out. He calmly turned around, and walked back to the car. He wanted to run, but he couldn't cause a scene. He trusted that the photos would be taken to the right place.

* * *

Hotch watched J.J. and Rossi leave to prepare for the next night's party. Prentiss was still on the phone with Garcia who was probably sobbing out all of her fears and worries about what happened to the two missing members on their team. Hotch had not spoken directly to Garcia since all of this had happened, but he could imagine what was going on. A day didn't go by when she didn't have a clever phrase to tease Morgan with or when she didn't ask to see one of the doctor's little magic tricks. Hotch would give anything to see one of those tricks again.

"Agent?" an officer said walking in. Hotch tore his eyes away from the gruesome photos on the board, and looked at the young officer.

"Yeah?"

"A very shaken mailman is here. He said he was dropping off a package at someone's front door, and when he got back, there was a strange letter on his seat."

"What's it say?"

"To the federal agents. Nobody else has touched it besides the mailman, but we couldn't find any prints last time."

Hotch was out of the room before the kid could finish the sentence. He saw the trembling postal worker sitting in one of the chairs in the front room, but Hotch went right over to where the letter was being held in a plastic bag. He picked up the bag, and called Rossi.

"Rossi, get back here. We got another envelope."

"On our way," Rossi said.

Hotch was already putting on gloves when Prentiss came back in the room.

"Party boy is from a very wealthy family. His brother…what is that?" Prentiss hurried over next to Hotch.

"We got another letter it looks like." Hotch slowly took out the contents from the envelope, and felt his heart drop when he saw Morgan lying unconscious next to the same wall.

"Oh my God," Prentiss said. Hotch flipped through the pile of photos without a single word to Prentiss who stood next to him with her mouth hanging open. The photos were similar to the last ones they received with full body photos as well as close ups of the faces. Hotch felt sick when he saw the youngest member of their team, the baby, was completely naked with large marks across his pale back. Both of them knew why he was unconscious in the last set of photos. Morgan had been awake for a few of the photos, but most of them were taken after he blacked out. Hotch set the photos down, and left the room. He had to catch his breath, and his thoughts. How could this be happening? How could somebody just take two of the BAU's best agents, and just get away with it? He wanted to punch a wall, to let out his anger and frustration like Morgan would do, but he had to control himself. He couldn't let himself go when his team needed his leadership now more than ever. He was surprised when he felt Prentiss put her hand on his shoulder. He didn't even know she had followed him.

"It's okay Hotch. We'll find them. Let's let Rossi and J.J. look at the pictures first. Then I'll fax them over to Garcia. I have a feeling she's not going to like this." Her voice was quieter than usual. It didn't take a profiler to see that all of this was affecting Prentiss as well.

"I know. You haven't told their mothers, have you?"

"Nope. I think Garcia has been writing Reid's mom though. He usually writes her every day, and she doesn't want his mom to be worried."

Hotch didn't even think of that. It was a good idea.

"When we find them, Morgan is going to personally call up Garcia," Hotch said. "Let's get back to work. Rossi and J.J. will be here soon."

* * *

Morgan slowly woke up to the unwelcoming darkness of the room. He didn't bother looking anywhere except towards Reid. Studying the room any further wouldn't help. Someone else had to come to take their chains off. Morgan couldn't do it himself, and Harold was planning on letting them die. He saw Reid start to wake up, and Morgan knew he would be crying if he could.

"Hey kid," he said softly. Reid brought his legs back up to his chest to cover himself. It was freezing that room. He could almost Reid trembling from the cold alone.

"Hey," Reid said.

"You didn't have to do that. I'm a big man. I could have handled a little lemon juice."

"Did they teach you how in FBI training?" Reid asked cracking a small smile.

"Of course they did, but you were too busy memorizing the lines from all the _Star Wars_ movies to pay attention," Morgan said smiling back. He couldn't hold the smile for long though. It was hard to smile when he saw one of his best friends scared and bleeding in front of him.

"Reid, don't do it again. Please. You have to be the one to tell the police what happened to us when we get out." Reid didn't say anything, but Morgan knew there was nothing more to say. Time was running out for both of them.

_the review button has missed you. please show it some love. _


	15. Chapter 15

_hello loyal followers. here is the next chapter up rather quickly to make up for my delay with the last chapter. i was meeting with all kinds of super people who are going to help me get into television shows and stuff. maybe in the next season, i will be on CM so yay! next chapter will probably be non con but no promises. these chapters are pretty much writing themselves. i have no control anymore lol._

Reid didn't know how time had gone by since they first woke up in that hell hole. Morgan kept fading in and out of consciousness, but Reid forced himself to stay awake. He knew that he had a open wound on his head, and it wouldn't be wise to black out. His feet were freezing, and he couldn't move his body in any position that would give himself much body heat. He would had guessed that it had definitely gotten colder since they had first arrived. None of his thoughts were standing clear, and he had never felt his tongue so dry before. It was all of his will to keep his heart from pounding 100 beats a minute. He was terrified. He could barely lift up his head when he heard the door open.

He heard Harold circle around to the other side of the room to glance at Morgan before pulling up a chair in front of Reid. Harold was dressed in a clean suit, a black coat, and his slick black hair was pulled back. All he was missing was a top hat and a cane, and then he would be ready for a night of dancing and fun. Reid weakly looked up at his captor. He wasn't going to back down now, but he got chills down his spine when he saw Harold's black eyes.

"Tell me, Spencer Reid, what was the happiest moment of your life?" Harold bent down in his chair so he would be closer to Reid.

"I'll only talk to you if you give us some water. Please. Morgan is really sick. Even if you just give him water. I'm begging you." Reid brought his legs as close to his chest as he could get them. He tried to ignore the tingling of the cuts on his ankles re-opening.

"Answer me."

"No." Reid's heart started pounding against his will, but he didn't care. If this man was going to kill Reid, he would go down fighting.

"Stubborn now are we doctor?" Harold smiled with his thin lips, and Reid felt a lump gather in his throat.

"Water."

"Yes, alright, water, but you cannot have any until we are done talking. I am having my party tonight so I will not be back until much later."

"Water for both of us. Please."

"One thing that you shall learn about me young doctor is that I never go back on my word. Both you and your little friend over there shall both have enough water to get you through the night. Now, when have you felt the happiest?"

Reid looked over at Morgan, and he felt like crying. All he wanted to do was go home, and curl into a big ball. How much longer would it be before Hotch and the rest of the team found them? Harold hadn't mentioned anymore news broadcasts, and Harold was acting no different than he was when he had first abducted them.

"One of my happiest memories was when I was accepted into the BAU," Reid lamely said. He couldn't think back much further than that when his body was crying out to him for water.

"Why?"

"I never had any friends when I was in school. My team are the only friends I have. They are like family to me."

Harold got up, and put the chair back against the wall where it belonged. Reid was hopeful for a moment that they would soon get water, but his heart dropped when he saw Harold walking towards the back wall.

"Do you believe in God Agent Reid?"

"What?" Reid whispered. His body was automatically scooting away from the back the wall, and the heart pace that he had finally controlled was beating faster than he could count.

Harold picked out a small dagger from the same desk where the lemon juice was, and walked back over to Reid. He saw on the floor directly in front of him, and Reid felt the fabric of Harold's pants brushing against Reid's knees.

"Do you believe in God?"

"Yes. I believe in the existence of a power higher than our own. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord," Reid quoted. He knew the scripture like the back of his hand. He could recite it all day if that was what Harold wanted.

Reid watched the knife Harold was holding, and bit his lip when Harold dug the blade into his calf muscle. He felt the knife pierce the skin, and tear the muscle apart. When it got too deep, he could not help but cry out in pain and pathetically try to move his leg away. Harold calmly took his hand off the weapon protruding out of Reid's leg and smiled again.

"I do know the Bible as well. If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. This is from Psalm.."

"I know where it is from," Reid interrupted.

"You have broken one of the commandments child. I do believe that one of them clearly tells its viewers not to lie, and you have clearly done so in our brief conversation. One of the happiest moments of your life was not getting accepted in the BAU. What about the last time you spent with your mother before you sent her away? What about the last conversation you had with your father before he left your family? Was one of the saddest moments in your life when that one agent abandoned you? You treated him as a father, didn't you? You sure do have a record with abandonment issues. What was his name…Gideon? That was it, right?"

Reid felt himself gather up new energy, and he lunged against Harold. He didn't want this man knowing about his personal life. He probably would have bitten Harold if Harold didn't suddenly rip the dagger out from his leg. Reid screamed, and felt the energy drain from him along with a considerable amount of blood. He hung weakly on his chained leash, and tried to keep his thoughts steady. The room was spinning, and he couldn't calm himself back down.

"I will have water brought up to you later. I'll be back tonight to tell you all about the party. I'm expecting a success. I bid you farewell," Harold said. Reid heard the key lock the door behind him, and Reid welcomed the blackness that was flooding his mind.

* * *

J.J. had everything worked out in her mind. Rossi had been training her on what to do and what not to do if Harold was indeed their unsub. J.J. tried to let the information sink in, but it was rather difficult when the only pictures that she saw whenever she closed her eyes was Morgan and Reid chained to a dark wall. It was a short drive to the mansion, and J.J. studied the wealthy neighborhood as they were driving. She kept expecting someone like Paris Hilton to run out on the street at any moment chasing her overpriced Chihuahua.

Rossi parked in front of the house, and reluctantly let the valet take the car. J.J. smoothed out her dress, and checked herself in the mirror one last time. They had to blend in. She would only admit that she was an agent if she was directly asked, and she couldn't let herself stand out. Her plan was to get "lost" in the overwhelming house, and start a little search for any signs of her two friends. Rossi would be close behind her at all times, but she had her gun in her purse if anything went wrong. She said a prayer every two minutes. Morgan and Reid had to be there.

"Are you ready?" Rossi asked.

"Yes," J.J. said too quickly. She saw Rossi stare at her a moment longer than usual, but he rang the doorbell anyway.

A rather tall man with a pale complexion, and an oversized dress coat answered the door.

"Good evening. Names please?"

"Hello," Rossi said reaching out his hand. "My name is David Rossi, and this is Jennifer Jareau."

"My friends call me J.J.," she said shaking the butler's hand after Rossi finished.

The butler opened the door wide for them to come in, and smiled shyly at J.J.

"My name is Markus. I am the person to come to if one of the beverages runs out, or if there is a specific type of food that you would like that is not here. The master of the house went at great lengths to get a variety of foods that would cater to all kinds of guests." Markus led them down a long hallway, and J.J. felt Rossi walking behind her.

"Does he throw these parties often?" J.J. almost had to jog to keep up with the butler's long strides.

"He has them whenever he feels the need," Markus simply said. J.J. heard the laughter of children as they got closer to one of the main rooms, and she noted two stairways going up different directions only a few feet away from this main room. Markus opened up the doors in front of them, and J.J. was almost taken back by all of the children running around. Adults were standing around in clusters: by the fireplace, by the snack table, and near one of the clocks in the room. J.J. couldn't spot the "master" of the house, but Rossi said he would be talking to him.

"Dinner will be served in exactly one hour. I will come back to call of you once supper is ready, but I will have the menus ready within 20 minutes. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

J.J. smiled again as the butler shut the doors and walked away.

"I think he has something for you," Rossi joked.

"That's just what I need: Dracula's butler following me around asking me what I like to eat."

Rossi laughed, and she followed him to the snack table. He stuck a pretzel into a mouth, and she watched him look around at the other guests.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," J.J. said. She let Rossi take the cues from her eyes, and he nodded.

"Keep your cell phone off, and if you sense anything wrong, get out of there. I'm going to go talk to Harold…who would be right over there," Rossi said motioning with his eyes. "He's talking to the kids."

"You mean playing with the kids," J.J. said looking at the handsome man get tackled by at least five of the boys. "My cell phone is on, my gun is within reach, and Garcia is standing by for information. I'm going to send over pictures of the house to her."

"Good idea," Rossi said eating another pretzel. He swallowed it, and looked back at J.J. "Be safe, and follow your instincts. I have a feeling that Harold will prove to have interesting conversation." Rossi winked at J.J. and walked over to the children's play area. J.J. patted her cell phone in her pocket, and tried to leave the room without being noticed.

She looked both ways, and was grateful to see the butler nowhere in sight when she shut the huge doors behind her. She hurried over to the staircases, but she didn't know which one to choose. They were both going in different directions, and the house was big enough to get lost in if she didn't keep track of where she went.

Taking a deep breath, she chose the staircase on her left and started walking. She sent a quick text to Rossi telling her which staircase she chose, and wondered what was ahead of her. She was tired and out of breath by the time she reached the top. She was disappointed to find out that if she wanted to, the staircase kept going to another level of the house. She looked around, and listened for any noises that seemed out of place. She couldn't hear the laughter of the children or the voices of the guests anymore. In fact, she couldn't really hear anything except for the creepy noises that were expected of a house so old. She looked down the black hallways on both sides of her, but chose to keep walking up the stairs. If she were a rich psychopath murderer, she would want to keep her victims as far away as possible that anyone else living in the house.

If she were an asthmatic, she would have died before she reached the top. She leaned on a pillar, and looked over the edge of the staircase. It was a long way down, and it was eerily silent on the third level of the mansion. After she caught her breath, she looked down the black hallways, and once again, she had no idea which direction she should go. She texted Rossi that she was on the third level of the house, and she started to look around. There was no dust on any of the furniture, but it didn't look like anyone had been there in years. She looked around for anything out place, even a crooked painting on the wall, and she finally found a little figurine that had fallen off the desk where sat.

She smiled, but she didn't touch the little elephant statue. She told Rossi that she had turned down the right hallway, and she took each step with caution. Nothing looked like the torturous photos that had been sent to the police station, and no matter how she strained her ears, she couldn't hear the cries of Morgan or Reid. Something deep in her heart told her that they were in this house. Maybe this was the instinct that Rossi had been telling her about, but she knew they were here somewhere.

She pushed open one of the larger doors, and found herself in the mansion's library. She felt like she was in a library. There were certainly enough books to fill up a library and more, but she couldn't help but feel sad when she thought that Reid had probably read all of those books. Where was he now? She wished more than anything that she could send him some mental note just to tell him that help was on its way, but she couldn't. She was about to leave the room when a photograph caught her eye. She wandered further into the room, and picked up the framed picture. It was of two boys, close in age, and it looked like the photo had been taken in this library. One of these boys had to be Harold, but who was the other one?

She was about to text Garcia this new information when she heard someone shut the door behind her. She dropped the picture to the ground, and didn't flinch when she heard glass shattering around her feet. She drew out of her gun at lightning speed, and turned around to look at her attacker. It was dark in the room, she had never bothered to turn on the light, but she could see the good looking man standing by the door. It was Harold.

"Oh my, have you gotten lost?" She saw Harold smile, and she tightened her grasp on the gun.

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	16. Chapter 16

_party time! this chapter pretty much wrote itself. i had little to no control haha_

Rossi brushed his hand against his gun as he watched J.J. leave the party room out of the corner of his eye. He had been getting a bad feeling since the butler welcomed them into that old house. Morgan and Reid had to be somewhere within these walls, but the question was where. He felt like he needed a map just to find his way around. He watched Harold wrestle with some of the younger children to the ground, and waited until he felt his phone vibrate with a note from J.J. before he got any closer to their possible unsub. She had made it safely to the second floor, and with her gun handy, he felt it was safe to finally approach Harold.

He bent down close to the man playing with the children, and noticed how well he got along with them. It seemed strange because as far as Rossi knew, this gentleman had no kids. As the handsome man rolled over with one of the kids on top of him, he finally noticed Rossi staring.

"Hey kids, let's take a break. Harold needs to get some punch. We can do this again after dinner. Sound good guys?" The kids were all laughing as the man slowly got up, straightened out his suit, and made his way over to Rossi.

Rossi kept his eyes glued to Harold.

"Hello sir. My name is Harold. I don't believe we have met yet," Harold said extending his hand.

"David," Rossi said shaking hands with Harold. "One of them yours?" Rossi asked gesturing to the departing children.

"Oh no, I'm not even married yet. I just love kids. They don't know anything about the horrors of the world just yet. All they care about is having fun. Don't you love kids?"

"Yes, they really are wonderful. You live here all by yourself?" Rossi said looking around. He noted the high ceilings with gold trimming lining the red walls. He felt like he went back in time to visit one of the many castles in Europe during the reigns of one of the kings.

"Well, I am never alone. I have the constant company of my staff, but they are more like family to me. We do talk about almost anything. I am guessing you are one of the federal agents," Harold said looking Rossi in the eye. Rossi wasn't afraid to look right back. "It's alright, you don't have to answer. It is such a beautiful night out, isn't it? You can almost see every star in the sky. Do you ever wonder if there might be other worlds? If there were, I doubt any world could be as glamorous as this one."

Rossi joined Harold is looking out the window, and there was a lot of stars out. Harold did seem smart enough to be able to pull out an abduction as thought out as taking two federal agents, and he would have place to keep them hidden.

"Did you read the story of Adam and Eve as a child David?"

"Yes, I did," Rossi sad.

"I wonder what their thoughts were on all of these stars so peaceful in the sky. Was it really Eve's fault for the downfall of mankind?"

"I think that Adam and Eve worked together, and both of them made their own conscious decisions in the garden."

"But then the question really does become did Adam and Eve ever truly exist at all or were they just a tale made up by parents to explain to curious children where the world came from."

Rossi opened his mouth to reply when the butler came back into the party room to hand out menus to each of the guests. Rossi took his menu, but kept his eye opened as the butler whispered something into Harold's ear. Harold didn't skip a breath. Harold actually smiled at Rossi, and didn't blink once when the butler walked away.

"Oh my," he said looking over the menu. "What to have…I'm in the mood for meat tonight. What about you David? Doesn't steak just sound exquisite?"

* * *

Markus shut the door behind him, and for a mere moment, he envied all of the guests at Harold's party looking over their menus. He had never been in a position like that in his life. He had never been able to look over a list of foods, and choose what he really wanted to eat. He walked to the two staircases near the main entrance, and didn't hesitate when he chose the opposite staircase that the blonde chose. He wondered if she was older than the young agent uncurious in the darkest wing of the manor. Harold knew about the girl wandering around his house, and he didn't seem to mind in the least. That wasn't for Markus to deal with.

He went up the memorized flights of stairs, and through all the various passageways without ever losing a breath. When he unlocked the door to the dim room, he was almost certain that both agents were dead. Neither one of them were moving, and the slight raise in their chests was almost invisible to the naked eye. He shut the door behind him, and pulled the water bottle out of his jacket pocket.

Markus went between the two men, and tried to decide which one to offer a drink to first. He didn't think it was the best idea to pour water down their throats when they weren't awake. He almost turned around to come back at another time when the younger agent slowly opened his eyes. He focused on Markus, but he didn't bother trying to cover himself up or scoot away.

"I've brought you some water that Harold promised," Markus said presenting the water bottle. Markus sat down next to the boy, and he felt like throwing up when he saw the wet blisters on his back and the blood falling out of one of his calves. The kid was sick, and he was going to die if something wasn't done soon.

"Wake up Morgan," the boy said slowly. "He needs it more than I do."

Markus looked over at the darker agent passed out by the wall, and he wanted to just leave them both. If they died, it really wasn't his fault. Was it? He didn't abduct them both in the night, and he didn't chain them to these walls. He didn't deny them food and water, and he certainly never laid a finger on either one of them. Markus probably would have just walked out if he didn't look at the boy's large brown eyes that were pleading at him for some kind of salvation.

He kneeled down next to the muscular man, and did his best not to touch any of the open wounds caused by some kind of whip that were scarring across the agent's chest. Markus lightly touched the man's cheek, and fell back when the man jerked himself awake. His eyes were wide, and his breath was much too fast. Markus weakly lifted up both of his arms because he did feel a threat even know the muscular man was completely tied up.

"I'm sorry," Markus said. "I just brought you some water." He watched Morgan look over at the younger agent, and then he nodded at Markus. Markus delicately lifted the bottle over Morgan's waiting mouth, and poured some of the water in. He was surprised with how quickly each sip was taken, and in only a few seconds, more than half of the bottle was done. Markus quickly regretted not bringing two bottles. Harold didn't specify how many to bring, but with the rate that this agent was drinking, they had not tasted water in quite a while. Markus almost forgotten about needing to share the water with the other agent, and he probably would have let the dehydrated man in front of him have all of the water, but Morgan started coughing. Markus drew the bottle back, and screwed the lid on.

Morgan coughed up much of the water that he just drank, but Markus was grateful that he didn't throw up. Markus wasn't a doctor, and he knew very little about the human body. Harold would be more of the person to examine a person as they coughed up their lunch, not Markus.

"Thank you, man," Morgan said after he calmed himself down. He leaned his head against the wall so he could better look at Markus.

Markus didn't make eye contact with Morgan, but he walked over to the younger agent who was patiently waiting his share of the water. Like the older agent, Reid drank the remaining contents of the bottle in a matter of seconds. He didn't cough, but he didn't get as much of the water as Morgan did. A quick thought came into Markus' mind of bringing up another bottle, but Harold never gave him the permission to do that. The entire house was under video surveillance. The only reason he would bring them more water is if he was suddenly feeling suicidal.

Reid hunched over on his back to spare himself any of the pain that would come with leaning against the wall with bloody scratches. He didn't bother lifting his head when Markus put the bottle away, and walked over to the door.

"Thank you," Reid almost mumbled. "Can you please…are our friends still looking for us?"

"They're here," Markus said and before the agent could ask another question, Markus closed and locked the door behind him.

* * *

Rossi stayed at Harold's side as they made their way into one of the main dining areas. While Rossi felt like he wanted a guided tour of the magnificent house, he never let down his guard for a moment.

"Did you know that the United States has 76% of serial killers when compared worldwide? Doesn't that sound a bit frightening? Well, to someone like you, I guess you would find this just fascinating."

"That may be true for a number of reasons: other countries do not document cases as well, people have more freedom to express their beliefs without criticism, but people are usually a product of their environment as well as their genetics," Rossi said.

The other guests were picking out their seats in the long table, and three more staff members seemed to appear out of nowhere to ask the people what kind of drink they wanted. It felt like some high class restaurant versus a local neighborhood party. Harold's servants made little to no eye contact with anyone they talked to, and it seemed like they were always moving with a sense of urgency. They knew something. The longer that Rossi spoke with Harold, the more he was convinced that this man was a complete psychopath who was incapable of any real feelings. This wasn't enough to warrant any kind of arrest or raid his house. He needed Harold to make a mistake which would be difficult.

Rossi took his seat next to Harold, and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket again. He knew it was J.J. telling him where she was, but he couldn't take out his phone until Harold had stopped staring at him. It was eerie to have a man whose eyes were as black as night staring into your soul, but Rossi wasn't afraid. Harold was just a man, nothing more.

"Red wine please for myself, and for David," Harold told the maid. He was smiling, and although he was talking to someone else, his eyes never left Rossi.

"I would just prefer a Coke," Rossi said. "I'm not in the mood for alcohol."

"How very interesting," Harold said. "You are just a fascinating human being David. We will have to talk later. I need to make a little run before dinner is brought out. Even if you are afraid of a bit of alcohol, you really must try the steak. It is to die for." Harold licked his lips, but Rossi never backed out of their staring game. Harold pushed out of his chair, put the napkin down, and strolled out of the room.

* * *

Harold knew that the older federal agent had been following him since he left the dining area, but Harold wasn't hiding anything. He put his hands behind his back, and walked up two flights of stairs until he was on the third level. He couldn't hear David behind him, but he had no doubt that he was there. Harold walked down the hall to the open door, and slipped himself inside without making too much noise. He shut the door behind him more out of habit rather than to scare, but the blonde girl in his library whipped a gun out of her purse and turned to face him.

Harold was more concerned about the broken frame that the fact that a federal agent was pointing a gun at his head. That picture was taken many years ago when Harold had no problems of his own to deal with. One of their servants took a picture of Harold and Michael during one of the many summers that they spent alone in the house. All they had was each other, and that was the way that it should have been.

"Oh my, have you gotten lost?" Harold smiled when he saw her tighten the grasp around the gun.

"FBI," she shouted. "Put your hands where I can see them." She was slightly trembling, and it looked like she was already sweating. It was a long walk up here. If she wasn't used to getting a workout, she should had taken the elevators.

Harold raised his arms to the side of his head, but kept smiling at the nervous woman.

"Do you know who that picture is of? I am the younger one, and I certainly do look awkward posing next to my skinny brother. I was always more of the chubby one, but I think I do grow out nicely in the end. I don't think my brother ever would have been more than a skinny twig. Some people are like that. I am just glad that my weight finally became proportionate with my height."

The woman never lowered her weapon, but she didn't say a word. Harold took a step closer which was terrifying to the blonde. Unlike David, she was afraid to look into Harold's eyes.

The door opened behind Harold, but he didn't flinch. The old agent had finally caught up with him, but that would only mean both of them would get to hear his story. It had been so long since he had a proper audience. The staff no longer cared about Michael, but Michael would always have a special place in Harold's heart.

"What happened to your brother?" Rossi asked circling around Harold.

"May I please lower down my arms? They would get strained if I held them above my head for so long, and I am not armed. Feel free to search me, but I just wanted to help this beautiful woman find her way back to the party. It seems like she has gotten lost in my library."

Rossi glanced at the blonde who slowly lowered her gun.

"Of course," Rossi said. Harold put his hands back down, and rolled his shoulders to prevent getting any sore muscles.

"Could you also please pick up the photo and place it back where you found it? I'll have to get the frame replaced, but that is no problem." Harold smiled at the blonde as David bent down to get the picture. She took another step back.

Harold pulled up one of the leather chairs next to the fireplace, and stretched out his legs as he sat down.

"Please do have a seat. I know that the journey up here is quite exhausting, and I would never want to wear my guests out. You are my company, and it is my job to keep you happy and entertained while you are in my house."

Following David's lead, both of the agents sat down across from Harold. While neither one of them looked completely comfortable, David was putting on a better show than the blonde.

"I do not believe we have met," he said eyeing the young woman. "My name is Harold."

"Jennifer," she said looking back at David.

"What a beautiful name. Were you an only child?"

"What happened to your brother," David asked again.

Harold took a deep breath, and looked into the photo that was taken so many years ago in that very room. Michael was never much of a reader, but Harold loved books. Whenever he wanted to be alone, he'd retreat to the library. The only person who would know where Harold ran off to was his older brother.

* * *

"_You don't have to leave Michael. You can stay here. Stay with me," Harold whined. Michael had just been accepted into one of the biggest universities in the country. Their parents could not be more proud of him, but Harold wasn't._

"_I have to leave," Michael said. Harold sat down in front of the fireplace, and didn't move when Michael sat down next to him. "I can't stay here all my life. There's more in the world that these damned walls Harold. When you're older, you're going to want to leave too."_

"_No, I want to be with you," Harold said. He put his older brother's hand on his lower stomach in hopes of changing Michael's mind, but it didn't work. Michael took his hand off Harold almost immediately. _

"_Harold, this isn't normal. Most people don't do this…Siblings aren't supposed to act in this way. My leaving is for the best," Michael said standing up. "I'll send you postcards every day, and I will come home during the holidays. I will be able to tell you about what college is like, and soon, you'll be leaving for college soon."_

_Harold didn't say anything. He didn't want to go away to college. He would make sure the instructors were sent to him, but he wasn't going anywhere. He stayed loyal to the place of his birth. How could Michael do this to him? Didn't he care? Harold loved him._

"_I'm going downstairs. Did you want anything to eat? I could bring it to you," Michael said. Harold stayed quiet, and turned his back to his older brother. _

"_Please don't be mad at me Harold," Michael said kissing Harold on the cheek. Harold got butterflies in his stomach from his brother's gentle kiss, but he didn't say anything. His brother would have to pay for hurting him. He heard Michael leave the room, and left Harold with a million thoughts going through his mind. His brother was doing this on purpose. When he had gone away to look at colleges, he met someone else he liked better than Harold. He was leaving Harold to be with someone else. Harold was going to be alone forever._

_It was only a moment in Harold's mind as he got himself off the carpet, ran down the hallway, and pushed his brother down one of the long flights of stairs. He watched his brother's terrified eyes as he tumbled down the stairs. Harold felt indifferent watching Michael's bones break from the rough fall, and he didn't flinch when he heard his brother's neck snap. He simply walked back into the library, and picked out one of Shakespeare's plays to read for the afternoon. _

* * *

"It was a very tragic accident. Michael was just about to leave for college, and he had his entire future waiting for him," Harold said calmly.

"How did your brother just trip down the stairs? He lived here his entire life. It seems odd that he would just trip like that," Rossi said.

"One of his shoelaces was untied," Harold said. "The police determined that was probably what caused him to fall like that. He neck was broken. I remember his head hanging over his shoulder as the paramedics put him into the ambulance. His eyes were still open."

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	17. Chapter 17

_hello everybody! hope my updates are coming at reasonable times. um, yeah, the story is pretty much writing itself at this point. i know what's going to happen in the end for the most part, but im still torn about harold. what do you guys think should happen to him? he's totally smarter than i am, and he kinda scares me too hahah_

Hotch and Prentiss never went back to the hotel that night. Neither one of them discussed their options, but they silently agreed to wait for any news from the party. Prentiss sipped her coffee, and Hotch struggled to keep his eyes open. He had to. Morgan and Reid were still out there, and they were depending on Hotch for their lives. How long had they been missing now? Three days? Almost four? How much longer would they be able to hold out?

"How did Garcia handled the new pictures?" Hotch asked absently. He knew that she probably still hadn't recovered from the first set.

"It took me like half an hour to even convince her to look at the pictures," Prentiss said. "This is really hard on her…she's really close to Morgan. I almost don't want to call her to ask her if she found anything from the pictures."

"You still need to call her. We're not at the party, and there's nothing else we can do staring at these pictures." Hotch turned his chair away from the bulletin board, and tried thinking about something else than imaging two of his friends with the sick bastard who did this.

"They're together Hotch. That's all I can say. Imagine if one of them were alone with this guy…he probably would have killed them already. Do you think he was targeting one of them or was it the plan to abduct both of them?"

Prentiss stood back up by the board, and started looking over all the victims they found over the years. It did seem random. The unsub kidnapped both men and women of all ages of sexes. He didn't know where Prentiss was going with all this. He was getting a headache again just thinking of what Morgan and Reid were up against.

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Hotch still wanted her to call Garcia. More pictures were sent to them this time which meant there could be more hidden clues to where his two missing agents were.

"He usually abducts three people at a time, not just two. He's had Morgan and Reid for over three days now, but he hasn't tried to get anyone else. This can mean one of two things: he hasn't had time for some reason or he got the type of person that he was looking for. Help me look to see if any of these victims look like Morgan or Reid."

She was on to something. Hotch stood up next to her, and started looking his way through all of the male victims around Morgan or Reid's ages. Their list of victims had grown considerably since they were first handed this case, and it was a lot harder to narrow down any specific type of victim. There were still more male victims than female, and he did tend to prefer younger people than the older ones.

After five minutes of looking over pictures, they had a small pile of photos of people who resembled either Morgan or Reid. They had only found one or two victims who had the same coloring and body type of Morgan. He worked out every day of his life, and he kept care of his body a lot more than the average Joe did. They found at least fifteen victims who were similar to Reid: age, coloring, body type, hair color. If the theory Prentiss came up with was correct, it was Reid who their unsub was after, not Morgan.

"It's Reid then," Prentiss whispered. "Not again. He can't handle this all over again."

"And if he does want Reid, then he's not going to keep Morgan much longer." The only reason Morgan was there was because they were together. Hotch told them to stay together at all times, and that's what they did. He couldn't have prevented what happened. All he could do was try to get them back, and make this bastard pay for what he was doing.

"Oh my God," Prentiss said.

"Call Garcia, and if Rossi doesn't call me in five minutes, I'm calling him. We need to know if we can consider this Harold a suspect or not."

Prentiss nodded, and dialed Garcia. She didn't leave the room though. Hotch was going to have to hear about how Garcia felt about seeing the gruesome photographs of two of her closest friends. It wasn't going to be pretty.

* * *

"Garcia," a familiar voice answered the phone.

"Hey…it's Prentiss. How are you feeling?" Prentiss asked. Garcia had been crying. It was obvious.

"Don't you dare send me anymore pictures like this. I won't look at them," Garcia almost shouted into the phone. "Did you see them? My poor babies! Morgan looked like he was beaten, and Reid…his back…what's wrong with his back? There's something very bad with all the scratches on his back. That white stuff looks like pus, a lot of pus. Is he sick? What's wrong with him? Please tell me. Or don't tell me. Please tell me you are closer to finding them."

Prentiss tried not to stare at the blood on either on her friends for too long. She got sick to her stomach whenever she saw what they had been through, and what they were still going through. She hasn't had an actual meal since Morgan and Reid disappeared, and she hadn't yet regretted that decision. She pulled out the photograph taken of Reid's back, and looked at the wounds more closely. They were definitely infected. The skin on and around all of the scratches were red, swollen, and looked painful to the touch, and this was adding to the fact that there was pus dripping out of the rips in the flesh.

She pushed the picture towards Hotch who was sipping out of his coffee. She could see the pain in his eyes. It was hard on all of them to know that these pictures were not of some random victim that they saw on their case files. This was Reid, the youngest on their team, and still a baby in their eyes. They were supposed to be able to protect him from the monsters in the dark.

"Hotch? What caused those kind of wounds? It wasn't a knife. It wasn't a whip of any kind. I don't think it was anything really from modern times. What kind of instrument would rip the flesh off like that?" She tried thinking back to all the torture devices that she read about in books, but she didn't have a photographic memory like Reid did.

"You're right," Hotch said looking closer.

"Garcia, can you look up old torture devices for me?" Prentiss asked.

"There's going to be like a million," Garcia said.

"I'm looking for something that would rip the skin off," Prentiss said. She focused in on the first set of cuts on the upper back. There were four long gashes that worked together to rip off flesh. It almost looked like a giant cat had ripped open his back.

"Cat's claw," Garcia said. "Used to rip the flesh off thieves or cheating wives in the medieval times…"

"Reid was right," Prentiss said writing something on their board. "The unsub is rich. This thing that he used on Reid wasn't cheap, and it is probably really hard to find one in this day and age. We also know that he has a pendulum or something close to it because he had dislocated the shoulders of another victim somehow. He has room enough to store all of these weapons, and he has the money to buy all of them. He is also smart enough to train himself how to use them properly," Prentiss said.

"Garcia, can you see anything else about the room they're in?" Hotch said.

"Um, the pictures are very similar to the last set. Big room, no windows, steady walls to keep them tied up, and probably thick walls so no one can hear their screams…"

"Can you tell how old the walls are? Do the chains around them look new?" Prentiss asked.

"I specialize in computer tech savvy kind of stuff, not how old houses and chains are kind of stuff. Shouldn't be calling an employee who works for like Bed, Bath, and Beyond or something for that?" Garcia said.

"The chains are older," Hotch commented. Prentiss saw him studying the pictures that were focused on damage done to Morgan and Reid's wrists. "There's older blood on here. Look, you can see it dried here. The chains themselves look like they're already starting to rust."

"No wonder Reid's back was infected so fast. Both of them are going to be very sick in just a matter of time," Prentiss said. While the small cuts to their wrists ankles were not life threatening, the chains that were doing the cutting hadn't been cleaned in years.

"And the walls look like something from back in Victorian times," Garcia said. "My awesome self and I did some internet window shopping and found walls very similar to the ones that are around our friends. It's extremely old. I don't even think houses are made like this anymore."

Hotch stood up and went over to the map on their board.

"So our unsub is wealthy, lives in an older neighborhood, and probably isn't married or has a family. It would be difficult for him to be able to hide victims from curious kids, and the odds of a wife being in on it would be rare," Hotch concluded.

"So Harold does fit all of this criteria," Prentiss said. From what Garcia told her earlier, the man lived alone ever since his brother tried in some tragic accident. The parents moved away, and left him the house they were living in. He had been in that house ever since. He had no history of any crimes. He never got a ticket in his life, and he got good grades with his tutors."

Hotch's phone started to buzz, and he pulled it out his pocket quickly to answer it. Prentiss took Garcia off speaker phone, and brought the phone to her ear.

"Thanks Garcia. We'll call you if we find anything else," Prentiss said.

"Um, Prentiss? How close are you really to finding Morgan and Reid?"

"We're getting closer. There's a wealthy neighborhood only a few blocks from here. My bet is that they are in one of those houses."

"Do you think they are still alive?" Garcia asked slowly.

"Of course they are. I know that they are waiting for us."

"Reid's back…and he looked so pale. Who could do this to them? Morgan's never hurt anybody, and Reid is just a kid. Prentiss, please bring them back safe. I'll never let either one of them out of my sight ever again."

"You'll be the first one of to know when they come home. I'm sure Morgan will be more than willing to talk to you," Prentiss said. She just hoped he was still in a condition where he was able to talk. From the look of the photos, he would need to go to the hospital immediately. Prentiss clicked off the phone, and glanced over at Hotch who was still on the phone.

* * *

Rossi's 6th sense told him that the rest of his team was somewhere in this house, but Harold was right. He had no reason to go on a search of the house unless he did have probable cause. Right now, he was just going off the fact that Harold was a pretty creepy guy and he did have room enough to hide two agents without the fear of them ever being found again.

J.J. was avoiding looking at Harold, but the rest of the party seemed to be having a blast. People ate and they drank, and they didn't have a care in the world. Rossi felt like he should be paying for all of the elegant foods and drinks that came his way. He tried to finish everything on his plate just so he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb, but J.J. just picked at her food. He knew how badly that she wanted to be the one to find Reid and Morgan. They wouldn't be able to get "lost" in the house again without risk getting kicked out. They had their try to look for the friends, and that didn't quite work out the way they planned.

Rossi wasn't able to call Hotch until after dinner. Harold remained the center of attention, and joked with his guests. He never had a single hair out of place, and he made sure to give every single person at the table the attention they deserved. Harold was very good at being the host, but it was eerie how the only thing on his plate was some kind of raw meat. He never chose to have any colorful fruits or vegetables in his diet. It was just meat. They walked a short distance after the dinner to Harold's private theatre, and Rossi wasn't surprised to see more of the hired help walking around to take more orders of what people wanted to snack on during the movie. Rossi made sure that J.J. saved him a seat close to where Harold would sit, and then he went to the bathroom to call Hotch.

Hotch answered after the first ring.

"Hotch."

"Hey Hotch. We didn't get that far in the house. J.J. went up into the East wing in the top level of the house, but neither of us heard or found anything. It's a creepy house though. I feel like I'm waiting for my tour guide to help me get through an ancient museum. See if you guys can find out what exactly happened to Harold's older brother. He told us a story about how the brother died, but there's something fishy about it."

"I'll get Garcia on it. How does Harold act?"

"He's a very strange man. He loves children, he's extremely intelligent, and he has a way of charming people. Everyone here at the party loves him, but he does have another side I saw a bit of. It's odd that he knows statistics on serial killers…"

"David?" Rossi almost dropped his phone. He thought he was alone in the bathroom so he got a chill when he turned around to see Harold standing there. How long was he there?

"You're going to miss the film if you don't hurry up that phone call. I've chosen the film titled, _The Wizard of Oz_. I'm sure you've seen it, and the children will love this movie. It has always been one of my favorites, but I think I am still a bit fearful of the evil witch. Doesn't she just give you the creeps? Why would she want to hurt Dorothy and her little dog?" Harold smiled at Rossi, and shut the door behind him.

"Was that Harold talking in the background?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go. I'll have J.J. text you information about the house." Rossi hung up the phone, and tried to sneak into the theatre quietly as he looked for his saved seat.

* * *

Morgan was feeling much better after the nervous man had given him some water. While he could feel him stomach starting to growl again, he was more awake than before. The marks that the whip had left him were slowly starting to heal, and he found a way to change positions without cutting deep into his ankles anymore. The room was getting colder though, and he contemplated asking the nervous man for his socks when he came back.

Reid, however, wasn't fairing as well. His skin was deathly pale, he had lost all color in his lips, and Morgan guessed his heart rate was up by his fast breathing. The kid had a fever. He couldn't see Reid's back, but Reid wasn't leaning against the wall like he once was, and he kept himself curled in a ball. The least that Morgan could do was to help warm the kid up. Morgan still had his pants on. Reid didn't have anything.

Morgan started moving around to try to get his pants off. He didn't care if the kid saw him in his boxers. They were just like swim trunks in a way, and Morgan felt it was his duty to keep Reid warm. Reid was getting worse by the minute.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked when he spotted Morgan's strange movements.

"Trying to get these pants off. You need them more than I do," Morgan said. While his pants had become undone, it was still next to impossible to get them off. He couldn't use his arms or his legs to help him in any way.

"Morgan, even if you got them off, how could you throw them over here to land on me? I couldn't catch them," Reid said licking his lips with his drying tongue.

The kid was right, as usual. Morgan would have to be able to throw the pants directly on top of Reid's bony knees to give him any kind of warmth. Morgan couldn't do that when he was tied up. He stopped shifting around, and laid his head back on the wall. His arms were aching from being held up for so long, the lashes from the whip burned whenever he tried to move, and all he could look at was the youngest member of him team crying out for help and he couldn't do anything. That was the worst torture of all.

"Reid, is your stomach growling?" Morgan asked.

"No. My back is really starting to hurt though," Reid confessed. He was looking at Morgan with his huge brown eyes, and he probably would have been crying if he wasn't so dehydrated.

"Just hold on pretty boy. That other man said that the rest of the team is here at that damned party. I'm sure they're looking for us," Morgan said trying to assure himself as well as Reid. He saw Reid nodding, but he didn't move other than that.

"We just need to hold up a little bit longer."

_gotta love the creepy guy that is named harold hahaha. he is really something. remember, the review button cries whenever you don't take the moment to click on it. would you really want that on your consious that you made an innocent little button cry?_


	18. Chapter 18

_much shorter chapter but im going to be so busy in the next few days and then im leaving on tuesday for ca again to meet with more casting directors. yay. um, warning for this chapter...its not pretty...and its going to be like 20x worse in the next chapter. just giving you guys all a fair warning_

Harold loved watching the agents. The pretty blonde couldn't stop squirming in her seat whenever Harold looked her way, and he felt the eyes of the older agent watching every move he made. It was almost like a game. He was sure that David would follow him into the bathroom stall if he was given the chance. They had somehow convinced themselves that their friends were in his house. He would make them leave soon enough.

All of the guests at the party finished the film, and he filled up their bellies with all kinds of cakes and cookies before they left for the night. The party was a success, and his staff was already hard at work to clean up the mess that the guests left behind. The last two to leave were, of course, the curious agents. They had not wandered off again since Harold caught them the first time, but Harold knew that David still wanted to talk with him. He found both of them talking to Markus at the doorway after everyone else had already left.

"How could I be of assistance to you?" he asked walking up to them. The blonde looked startled when he snuck up behind them, but the older one wasn't fazed. Harold saw David was showing pictures of the missing agents to Markus. Spencer's skin was glowing in the photo, and Harold suddenly had to have the picture for his room. The boy looked perfect.

"I was just showing your butler pictures of our friends," David said. "They have been missing for almost four days now. The younger one, Spencer Reid, is only 27 years old," David said handing the photo over to Markus. "The other agent is Derek Morgan and he is,"

"Both of us are well aware of the missing agents. We do watch the news. I do believe that I have a television in every room in this house. I love to fall asleep watching old films. John Ford is one of my favorite directors. They don't make films like that anymore," Harold said taking the photographs out of Markus' hands. "Were they good at their jobs? The kid looks way too young to be on your team. Is he an intern?"

"Please call if you see anything," Rossi said handing Harold a business card.

Harold smiled at him, and licked his thin lips.

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything else," he said. "They are lucky to have such devoted friends. I am so jealous."

Rossi stared at Harold for longer than usual, but Harold didn't back down. He even kept the smile on his face.

"I hope they aren't already dead," Harold said. His smile widened letting his teeth show. He loved watching how David's eyes light up. "Good night agents."

He nodded at Markus to shut the door, and he left the dumbfounded agents standing in his doorway. He watched them leave from a window, and didn't let them out of his view until they got into their car and drove off.

Harold turned to Markus, and slapped him as hard as he could across the cheek. He watched Markus fall back more out of surprise than the force of being it.

"What did you tell them?" Harold demanded.

"Nothing sir, I swear! They came up to me, and started asking me questions about you. I told them I don't know anything about your personal life, and that you just hired me to help you with some of the housework. That's all."

"And if you are lying to me, what then?" Harold asked stepping closer to the frightened servant.

"I'm not lying! Please sir, I am not lying."

"We'll find out in time if you were indeed telling the truth or not. In the meantime, do pick me out of my favorite discs to listen to. I am planning on going back upstairs to entertain my new friends. I am sure that they will be able to appreciate the form that classical music takes when compared with all the new fangled stuff that the younger generation listens to. I read somewhere that listening to classical music can actually help raise you I.Q."

"Which cassette should I get sir?"

"Let me think," Harold said. He had collected almost all of the music from famous composers worldwide. It was hard to just choose one.

"How about Perotin? He is so very much underrated. He was such a genius with his work. It is truly a shame that his name is usually not on the top of the list for classical artists. Just bring it upstairs so the boys and I could listen to it together." Markus nodded, and disappeared down the hallway before Harold could say another word. He didn't really care that Markus left without excusing himself properly, but Harold needed to find out what was discussed with his servant and with two nosy agents.

Harold walked up the long flights of stairs to play with the guests upstairs. They hadn't seen him since earlier that day. He was sure that he was missed. He unlocked the door, and found the agents just where he left him. Both of them were awake, but they were quiet. They barely acknowledged him when he pulled up a chair between them. Derek looked like he would pass out at any minute, and little Spencer looked rather ill with his pale skin and dark eyes.

"How was your day friends? The party was a success. David and Jennifer were both very interesting people to talk with," he said smiling.

Both Derek and Spencer raised up their heads when he mentioned their names. They didn't look at him though. They were looking at each other. Harold hated feeling like that third wheel. He always felt that way when he had dinner with his parents after Michael died, and he despised his parents more than anything. He put the chair away, and stood staring at them. There wouldn't be any talk tonight.

Markus came in the room, and handed him the cassette without looking at anyone else in the room. Harold watched him leave the room, and he ran his tongue over his lips.

Harold walked over to the younger of the agents, and unhooked him off the wall. Spencer cried out from the sudden rough movement, but Harold ignored it. He slammed Spencer on top of the wooden table, and watched the boy squirm like a fish out of water. He was more like Michael than Harold could have imagined. The shape of his body, the color of the skin, and even the tiny struggles he made as Harold tied his arms to the table. His arms were stretched far above his head, and Harold took delight in watching the boy tremble with fear.

* * *

"What are you doing man?" Derek asked. "He's really sick. If you want to keep us around, you're going to have to take care of us."

Morgan couldn't believe that Harold had the balls to drag Reid across the room, and throw him on the hard table like he did. The table looked like it had not been washed once since it was made, and the hard wood probably didn't feel great against Reid's soft skin. Unless Harold was going to pour some kind of medicine into Reid's wounds, Morgan wanted Reid off the table.

"What are you doing man?" Reid was pathetically looking over his shoulder and back over at Morgan. His breathing was getting faster, and fear was written all over the kid's face.

"He's really sick. If you want to keep us around, you're going to have to take care of us," Morgan said. Harold never seemed bother by Morgan's threats or rough movements. Talking to him normally seemed to be the key to get him to open up.

Harold didn't answer him though. He stood behind Reid, and Morgan saw him unzip his pants, and he let them fall down around his ankles. Morgan's heart started to race. Harold folded up his pants, and placed them by one of the table legs. He then took off his underpants, folded them, and put them by his pants. Harold climbed up on the table behind Reid, and stroked Reid's lower back with his fingers.

"Get off of him!" Morgan felt a new rage building inside of him. He had a new strength that wasn't there before, and his wrists were bleeding again as Morgan started pulling at them. Reid saw the panic on Morgan's face, and opened his mouth to question what was going on.

"Reid, get out of there!" Morgan shouted. Reid tried looking behind him, but he started pulling at his own chains to get off the table.

"What he's doing? Harold? What are you doing?" Reid asked.

To their surprise, Harold pulled Reid up by his hair and slammed him face first into the table. Reid cried out, and Morgan saw the head wound covered by his hair had reopened. Blood was dripping down the side of the boy's face, and his face was twisted in pain. Reid weakly lifted his head back up, and begged Morgan with his eyes to help him. Morgan could tell he was extremely dizzy by the way Reid held his head, and he was now breathing out of his mouth versus his nose.

"Let him go you son a bitch!" Morgan screamed.

Harold casually got off the table, but Morgan didn't watch him. He needed to keep Reid awake. His biggest fear was that if Reid lost consciousness, he wouldn't wake up again. When Harold came back with a crowbar in hand, Morgan lost it. He tried standing up, and he cringed as the spikes dug into his ankles. He managed to get to his feet only to fall down again, and he screamed as the points dug deep into his wrists. Harold paid no attention to him. He raised the crowbar high above his head, and slammed it down onto Reid's right arm. Reid screamed louder than Morgan had ever heard him scream before. His head fell back on his neck, and his eyes were closed from the agony. Harold didn't seem bothered at all. He got himself back on the table, and put his hands back on Reid's lower back. He dug his nails into Reid's flesh, and dragged them down his back and onto his buttocks. Reid was gasping for breath, and still struggling to get the bastard off of him.

Morgan saw blood on Harold's fingers when he took them off of Reid, and he shuddered when Harold licked his fingers clean.

"He does taste delicious. Would you like to try some?" Harold asked smiling.

"Get off of him! Now!" Morgan shouted. Morgan felt himself gasping for breath, and he knew that he probably dug the spikes too deep into his wrists too far. He didn't care. He needed to get Reid out of there.

Harold ran his fingers over the bloody marks all over Reid's back, and made eye contact with Morgan as he pushed his fingers inside one of the biggest scratches he found. Reid bit his lip hard, and weakly tried to push Harold off, but he wasn't strong enough to even move the heavier man on top of him. Harold bent over, and licked the wet blood and pus off every single of Reid's open wounds. Reid cried out with every penetration of Harold's tongue, and all Morgan could do was watch. He couldn't even think of any comforting words to say. Nothing he said or did would get Reid away from Harold.

Harold pushed himself off the table, and slapped his hand into one of Reid's wounds. Reid screamed again, but Harold didn't care. He smeared his hand across the fresh blood on Reid's back, and walked over to Morgan. Morgan was biting his tongue. It was all he could do to keep himself from tearing off his own wrists. Harold smeared the blood across Morgan's cheek, and Morgan lunged out to bite him. He missed, but he felt his body shake more with rage than with fear. He had the blood of one of his best friend's across his face, and all he could do was sit there.

"Doesn't his blood feel fantastic across your skin?" Harold asked. He turned the music on, and Reid's cries were drown out by the classical music that filled the room. Morgan felt like puking.

Harold went back over to Reid who was making whimpering noises on the table. Morgan could not be more proud of him. He was still awake, and he was actually trying to fight Harold.

"Please, Harold, I'm really dizzy. I don't feel good…" Reid whispered.

Harold got himself back on the table, but this time, he didn't make any glances or gestures towards Morgan. In fact, he wasn't looking at anything besides from Reid's backside. He put both of his hands back on Reid's lower back, and massaged them down Reid's buttocks. Morgan tried to think back to what this sicko did to his victims. He tortured all of them, and not one of his victims came out of it alive…Harold also raped all of the people he took.

"Oh my God…Reid! Get off him you ass! Get off him now!" Morgan yelled.

Reid took cues from Morgan's pleas, and tried his best to get the heavier man off of him. He tugged against his chains, and tried bucking up his hips, but the older man didn't even budge.

Harold's hands went down Reid's butt, but Morgan wasn't grateful that he wasn't allowed to see what was going on. He knew by the pained expression on his dear friend's face, and the sharp gasps Reid took as Harold's fingers disappeared. His body was trembling, but he wouldn't look at Morgan. He kept his eyes shut for the most part.

"He is rather tight down here, isn't he?" Harold asked positioning himself over Reid.

"Please man, please. You don't have to do this," Morgan begged.

* * *

Reid had never been so scared in his life. He couldn't stop his heart beating so fast, and he felt that the heavier man on top was going to crush him. His head was aching, and his back was burning like it was on fire. The more he struggled, the weaker became. What happened to the rest of the team? If they were there, why didn't they rescue them? He kept praying that Hotch would kick down the door at any minute and save Reid from suffering anymore, but there weren't any movements by the doorway. The only sounds he heard were Harold's shuffles behind him, and his own breathing.

He stopped breathing when he felt Harold push fingers inside of him. He forced his eyes closed, and tried to prevent his frightened gasps when Harold started to move his fingers around. Trying to assure himself that everything would work out in the end and that his team would be there soon wasn't helping his nerves. The pain in his arm even seemed less distant when he felt an unsub's fingers moving around inside of him. Reid was able to keep quiet until he felt a fingernail scratch his inner walls. He yelled out, and kicked Harold as hard as he could out of reflex more than anything else. He felt Harold fall off the table, and while his body thanked him for getting rid of the intruder, Reid knew kicking someone like Harold could only lead to disaster.

_thanks for reading guys. i might have another chapter up before i leave but probably not cuz the next chapter will probably be longer as well as like graphic...so yeah...um, the review button loves you so much and if you keep clicking on it, you will eventually win a box of invisible cookies with your name on it!_


	19. Chapter 19

hello loyal readers! this chapter is longer to make up for my vacation time haha. i met with casting directors and im sure happy so if all goes well, ill be on a tv show super soon! so yay! and another warning, this chapter is more more GRAPHIC than any of my other ones. there is a rape, and more not so fun times for morgan and reid. oh, and harold is super scary in this chapter too. i dont think id ever want to meet this guy

Rossi made sure that all of the doors were locked after he had gotten into the car with J.J. He checked the backseat, and made sure that J.J. was buckled in her seat belt. He looked back at the mansion, and he knew that Morgan and Reid were there. He had no seen them, heard anything suspicious, and he didn't find anything belonging to either one of them, but he knew they were there. Just driving off and leaving them there would be nothing less than a death sentence. Judging from the last set of photos, they didn't have much time left.

"He has them, doesn't he?" J.J. said after Rossi drove them off the property.

"I'm almost sure of it. You didn't see anything fishy before Harold found you?"

"No, well, the entire house was dusted which was strange seeing as he lives alone. Everything was in its place, and he was strangely attracted to the children," J.J. said. Her eyes were tearing up he noticed, but he wasn't going to say anything. He knew how badly she wanted to be the one to rescue Reid and Morgan. She had let Reid down before, and she wasn't going to do it again.

"Call Garcia. I'm not buying the story of his brother just slipping down the stairs to his death. That doesn't make sense," Rossi said. J.J. wiped her eyes, and looked down at her cell phone to dial the number. What they needed was a search warrant to look around Harold's house, but that could take days because of the size of the house. Rossi was used to searching houses. The problem was getting the warrant. Harold had technically not done anything wrong.

"I'll call Hotch. I wrote down some of the license plates numbers from the people at the party. It wouldn't hurt to look through them. We can find out what kind of people this Harold fellow invites to his party," Rossi continued. He put the phone to his ear after he dialed Hotch, but he kept his eyes on the house just past the gates. A nagging voice in his head told him not to leave Harold just yet.

* * *

Harold stayed on the floor a moment longer than usual as he tried to gather his thoughts. It didn't seem to register that someone could actually kick him onto the floor. What had he really done to deserve that? He sat up, and brushed the dust off the top of his shirt. He knew deep inside that what he was doing wasn't normal. Most people did not have federal agents being held captive in their basements. Then again, he didn't consider himself to be like most people.

He slowly stood up with his hand across his sore member. That agent kicking him like that really hurt. How careless could someone be? He saw that the two agents were whispering to one another, and that the frightened boy on the table was breathing heavy. A few of the wounds on his back had reopened, and Harold smiled in delight when he could tell with only a glance at how infected the wounds were. It would truly be a shame to not open all of them back up again. Then, Harold would be able to feel Reid's warm blood across his fingers as he took the boy that night. He turned around to turn up the music that was playing in the background. He closed his eyes, and smiled as the peaceful tones filled his ears.

"Morgan? What is he doing?" Reid whispered. The boy wasn't even attempting to turn around which didn't surprise Harold. Reid's right arm was positioned awkwardly against the table, and it was starting to bruise already from the crowbar. He didn't want to have to break the boy's arm. He really had no choice in the matter. He would have to remember to send Markus down there later on to check out the arm. Markus wasn't a doctor by any means, but maybe someone else on the staff was. Harold tried to keep up with the histories of everyone he hired, but he did have to admit that most of them bored him to death.

The darker agent was sitting on his knees with blood falling down both of his arms. The blood had already clotted on the wounds from earlier. If he would just learn to sit still, he might even stay conscious long enough to watch the show. Harold wanted to bring up the film that was shown at the party. He felt bad for not being able to let all of his guests watch it at once, but he decided that if the boys upstairs were good tonight, he would let watch Dorothy travel to the world over the rainbow.

"Harold, if you're willing to do some kind of trade, I'm sure the other members on my team would be more than happy to talk with you," Morgan began. "Reid's arm looks like it's broken in more than one place, and I know how much you want to keep your guests satisfied. Please, just let me give you their names. Aaron Hotchner is in charge of our team, and I know he's been looking for us since day one. It would be so much easier on you, on all of us, if you could just call him up."

Harold took the cat's claw down from the wall that it was hanging on, and placed it neatly next to the young agent on the table. It was so interesting that even as he held the young agent's life in his hands, all the other one wanted to do was talk. He bent down next to Morgan, and looked him straight in the eye. Unlike the blonde agent at the party, Morgan stared straight back.

"Tell me, Agent Derek Morgan, why did you decide to become a federal agent? Was it really because you wanted to save women and children or were you just looking for an excuse to hit anything that stood in your way? Do you honestly believe that wearing thin tee shirts and working out every day of your life will ever erase any kind of horrible memories that you experienced during your childhood? Will the women clinging to your arms really ever understand what you went through, what you are still going through, or do you just like to talk to them to get more of that hidden anger out of your system? I do believe than when women wear tight dresses to get attention from men, they are usually referred to as whores. They are really nothing more than demons that prowl in the night. What makes you any different? Oh yes, I forgot. You save women and children every day from people like me.

"You don't know anything about me," Morgan said. Harold ran his tongue over his drying lips, and blew air into Morgan's face.

"Oh, but I do. I think I do have a right to know who is staying in my house. Don't you think? You had a very interesting childhood to say the least. I am surprised to find out that you never once cut yourself. I do believe that I might of if I was sexually molested by someone I saw as a father figure. Maybe the reason you claim to have moved on so easily is because that you really enjoyed it. You loved the sensation of feeling his strong arms caress your body."

"Go to hell!" Morgan yanked at his chains, but he couldn't get any closer to Harold.

"I do believe that we are already there. Isn't this quite what you imagined it to be like? Strange devices hanging off walls, dead girls missing their tongues sitting beside you, and having one of your own strapped naked to table would certainly seem like a hell to me."

Morgan was shaking, and were he not so dehydrated, he probably would have been crying like a baby.

"Please, just let him go. He's done nothing to you. He's just a kid. If you want to play your sick mind games, play them with me," Morgan begged.

"Oh, but now, what fun would that be?" Harold said standing up. He needed to stop talking. His tutors always told him that he was distracted easily, and that he should be more like Michael.

He rubbed his hand down Reid's back, and he traced his fingers on the raised scratches.

"And what did I learn about, pretty boy, as you call him? Having a genius IQ will not save him from what genetics promised him at birth. Are you already hearing voices in your head? It must be hard to have no one to speak with, no one who truly understands what you go through. Am I right? You thought you could make a difference at the FBI? Have you?"

Reid had both of his eyes closed, and he didn't flinch when Harold scratched one of the tears on his back. Harold felt himself going limp. If he didn't stop talking, he would waste a perfect night. He picked up the cat's claw, positioned each claw on the infected scratches, and dug them into the flesh. He pulled the claw down Reid's back, and laughed when some dark blood splashed him in the face. Reid was screaming. The boy arched his back, lifted his head off the table, and screamed as loud as he could. It was delightful. All of the wounds had reopened, and Harold dug his fingers deep into the cuts. He love the sensation of feeling the muscle and blood around his fingers, and he couldn't help himself when he started to laugh.

Using Reid's pain as an opportunity, Harold got back on the table, and spread Reid's legs apart. He had no time to tease the entrance or to prepare himself for such a tight fit. He grasped his hands on Reid's shoulders to keep himself steady as he pushed his way in. The muscles tensed up around him, and the boy on the table screamed even louder than before. Harold pulled himself out to the tip before ramming himself deeper into Reid. The older agent was shouting while Reid was screaming for rescue, but all Harold could hear was the pleasant strings from the violin on one of his favorite albums. Harold closed his eyes, and wrapped his hands around the boy's cold member. Michael used to love that. It was the only way that they could both be satisfied during the same meeting. Harold was usually the one on the bottom, but he loved the power of being on top. He massaged his fingers around Reid's sex, and Harold's breath got heavier as he felt the boy start to stiffen.

He pulled himself out to the tip once again, and pushed himself back in. The passage was widening up, but he could feel the tissues inside ripping. Harold never really had that problem. He imaged that he bled the first time, but he just assumed that all virgins did. The blood inside was making it easier for Harold to get as deep into the boy as physically possible. Harold tried to draw out the experience as long as he could. He had not been able to have any kind of sexual encounters with his last guest, and he desperately needed to make up for lost time. It did not take much time of rubbing the boy's member before he felt the warm juices around his hands. Harold felt a lot better after Reid's ejaculation, and he was able to concentrate more on the music after that. He tried to keep his violent thrusts in tune with the music, and he finally came as the song came to end. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, and he knew he would need a rag to clean the blood off himself before he could put his underpants back on.

Without any warning, he yanked himself out of the young agent. He was looking around for the rag when he heard Reid's breath get faster. By the time he turned around to see what was wrong, the agent had passed out. Wet blood was all over the side of his face, and his mouth was partially open. All he needed was a pillow so he would be more comfortable. Harold found the rag near the desk, and he rubbed the red liquid off of his member. He put his garments back on, and he neatly placed the cat's claw back on the wall. He didn't bother cleaning it up. He turned the music down lower so Reid would be able to sleep more peacefully, and Harold almost left the room when he noticed Morgan.

Morgan was breathing almost as heavy as the young agent was before he collapsed. He had his eyes glued on Harold, and both of his hands were clenched in fists. Harold could not even begin to comprehend what that man had just gone through. He imagined that watching the youngest member on his team getting brutally raped was heart wrenching, and the torture that Morgan was going through in his mind was probably worse than any scars that Harold could put on the body. He had to watch the young doctor get raped, and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Harold turned around, pulled the chair in front of the boy on the table, and sat smiling at Morgan.

"Do tell me Morgan, for I am ever so curious, how did that feel? I am sure that you can see the large pool of blood gathering between the young doctor's legs, and his screams were something that will stay in your mind for years. Am I correct?"

Morgan didn't say anything. He kept his hands clenched into fists, and he had his jaw locked. He somewhat resembled a rabid dog just before they attacked which was rather frightening to Harold. Michael once told him the story of a rabid dog that went on a killing spree, and one of the victims was the owner of the dog. Harold never wanted a big dog after that. He was perfectly content with Timothy sleeping every night on the edge of the bed.

"Are you interested at all, my dear friend, how the doctor's blood tastes? I can honestly assure you that his blood is sweeter than honey itself," Harold said leaning forward.

"What do you want?" Morgan finally asked.

"I do just want to know what was going through your mind when you had to hear the most primal of screams coming from someone who is so close to you. I have had many people who were privileged enough to stay with me in this house, but I don't think I've ever heard a scream quite like that. Have you? It was pathetic really. Did he really think that screaming would make me stop? It really did nothing more than give me a slight headache." Harold turned around, and smiled again when he saw the boy was still bleeding between his legs.

"No wonder everybody has left you," Morgan said. "You are a psychopath who isn't even strong enough to keep his family from leaving him. You are stuck here all day to live a life of fantasy with your silly parties and servants who are afraid of you!"

Harold's smile disappeared. How dare he say that! The agent had no right to talk about Harold's family like that. Morgan didn't know anything about Harold's past or how his heart was ripped in two when he found of Michael was leaving him. Play time was over.

"You have studied people like me for some time now agent. Tell me, in your own words, am I the classic definition of a psychopath?"

"I would never give you the honor of telling you what you want to hear. In my own words, you are the sickest bastard on this planet," Morgan yelled.

Harold got up, and strolled back over to his wall. He didn't want this man in his house anymore. He had never heard of being insulted like that in his own house. Harold liked people who were brought up with manners, and this Agent Morgan was clearly missing that. Harold saw his rack leaning up against the wall, and he lifted up and brought it over to the agent. Morgan barely looked at it.

"See? You're not even man enough to face me without using something stronger than you are in this damned room. Talk to me!" Harold didn't even think his actions through and he kicked the agent in the face. His heavy shoe landed underneath Morgan's eye resulting in a bloody nose, and a bit of confusion for Morgan. Harold didn't like being talked to like that. He was able to drag Morgan onto the rack, and he tied his hands back above his head. Morgan struggled, but it was nothing that Harold couldn't handle. By the time Harold had positioned him properly on the device, Morgan had spit up blood at least twice. He was clearly making a mess.

"Dear Agent Morgan, I do regret to inform you that this will be your last night staying in this house. I truly enjoyed your visit, and I hope I've given you memories that will last a lifetime. However, this will be the last moment that you will ever see the young Doctor Reid again. I am not sure how much longer that he will last when you think about how much blood he has lost and how little he has had to drink, but I am sure that we will have a blast in our last days together. I bid you farewell." Harold smiled, and started turning the wheel on the rack.

"Wait, what? What are you doing man?" Morgan pulled weakly against his restraints, but he never looked up at Harold to see exactly what was going on. He kept his eyes on the unconscious agent on the table. His arms were being pulled higher with each turn of the wheel, and it was soon impossible for Morgan to fight it anymore. He clenched his jaw together, and took deep breaths as the rack stretched his arms out.

"Please, don't do this," Morgan begged. Harold stopped for a single moment to let Morgan have one last glance at his dear friend, but then he turned the wheel again. He heard a loud snapping sound coming from Morgan's arms, and Morgan screamed as both of his arms were dislocated. Harold heard himself laughing again as the arms bent in directions that were not natural to the human body. It was quite a funny sight to see, and he suddenly wished he had brought his camera again with him. As a parting gift, Harold took out the whip once again, and ripped open all of the long scratches that were trying to heal on Morgan's chest. Morgan didn't scream. He kept his teeth clenched together, and his eyes were closed tight from the pain. He took a deep breath as the whip hit him once last time, and then he was gone. His head fell down towards the left side of his body, and his jaw finally released.

Harold took the rag that he had cleaned himself with, and wiped off all of the blood from Morgan's face. Morgan had to look somewhat clean for his trip home that night. He also took off the ripped pants and underpants that Morgan had around his waist. He usually delivered his party guests home wearing the clothes that they came in, but Harold detested everything that agent wore. He was self conscious for a few minutes when he saw how in shape that the darker agent really was. He had muscular thighs that went with the strong abs across his stomach. His skin was soft to the touch, but Harold still preferred the pale skin of the young doctor. Morgan tossed the rag over Morgan's member which was quite bigger than Harold's was, and Harold really didn't want to look at it anymore.

Harold had to get Morgan out there that night. He dialed Markus on the phone while he gently pulled off the hair that was sticking to the blood on Reid's face.

* * *

Markus was laughing with the other members of the staff as they picked up the disaster that was left from the party. This is what Markus wanted to do. He loved cleaning up and talking with his friends. This is the kind of job that Markus was expecting when he started his job with Harold.

He shuddered when he heard the phone vibrate in his pocket. He knew that any normal time he spent downstairs was now over. He started his journey to the dark rooms before he even answered the call.

"Markus, I request your service immediately. Agent Morgan is now ready to go home," Harold said. Markus looked out the window when he got the second floor, and saw the car that the agents were driving sitting outside the gates of the manor. There was going to be a problem.

"Sir? Were you aware that the agents from the party have not left yet?"

"Why, of course they have. I sent them away hours ago."

"They are sitting outside, just past the gate. I will not be able to drive anyone home tonight without them watching."

"Don't worry about them. I'll deal with that. Just get up here. Take Agent Morgan back."

"Where do I drop him off? He doesn't live in this state." Markus took a deep breath when he got to the third floor, and waited for the response. He didn't want to have to cross paths with Harold that night.

"I do believe that there is a child's park just a few blocks from here. Take him there. I am sure his little team will find him there within the hour. I'm going to take a bath. The treats for Timothy are already in my room?"

"Yes sir. Timothy will be waiting for you as well."

"Good, good. I will see you in the morning Markus." The call ended, and Markus waited a few more minutes to make sure that Harold was gone by the time he got to the room.

Markus pulled the cart outside the room, and held his breath as he walked inside. The room was in the same lighting as it was before. However, neither one of the agents were on the wall. The darker one was tied to some kind of ladder near the center of the room while the boy was strapped to the wooden table. They weren't moving. Markus cautiously walked up to them, and he started coughing as soon as he saw all of the blood in between the boy's legs. He hurried to the corner of the room, and threw up his dinner. The kid was younger than his sister, and Harold had raped him.

When he was certain that he couldn't throw up anything else, he walked back over to the agents. The boy's arm was broken, and there wasn't a spot on his back that wasn't wet with blood. The infection had gotten worse, and his breathing was a lot slower than it should have been. Markus turned his attention away from Reid to untie Morgan. Reid wasn't his problem. If the kid bled to death on that table, it wasn't going to be Markus' fault. Markus didn't bring the boy up there, and Markus didn't cause the boy any pain. If the young agent died, it was because God willed it to happen. He was sure that's what his sister would say.

He threw the agent over his shoulders, and dumped him into the cart waiting in the hallway. He took one last look at the boy on the table before locking the door behind him. As he got to the second level, he glanced out the window and saw the agents by the gate were gone. Harold had kept his promise, and got rid of them. All Markus had to do was get the agent to the park, and then he would be able to rest that night. He would call his sister in the morning.

_dont forget that the review button loves you and thinks about you all the time so please click on it to show your undying love and devotion! remember, more reviews i get, the faster the next chapter comes. reviews encourgage me and lets me know what you guys like =)_


	20. Chapter 20

_chapter 19 and chapter 20 belong together lol. i had to put them up next to each other to erm, enjoy this chapter. not graphic but its just as fun!_

Hotch was doing all he could to keep himself awake. The party would be ending soon, and he needed to be the one to take Rossi's call. Prentiss was getting tired, but he wasn't going to make the same mistake he did with Elle and send her home. If she wanted to take a short nap, she could sleep on the couch here. He nearly fell out of the chair when the phone rang.

"Hotch."

"Hey Hotch. Its Rossi. The party's over, but we're sitting outside the property."

"Is this guy our unsub?" Hotch got up, and looked over the pictures of the victims on their bulletin board. Prentiss stood up behind him.

"I can't say that we saw anything suspicious, and while he was on the creepy side, he didn't do anything illegal at the party. He did tell us an interesting story on the death of his brother. I think his brother was murdered."

"Why?" Hotch looked over the notes on what Garcia had found out about Harold. He did have an older brother that died a few years before.

"I'm not sure why, but I think Harold killed him. We're having Garcia look up more information on the brother right now." Hotch put the phone on speaker so Prentiss would be able to listen.

"Prentiss also found some common ground with most of the victims," Hotch said.

"Some of the people murdered were completely random with men and women of all ages and races, but the majority of the victims were male. We started digging a little bit deeper to see if Morgan or Reid match the physical build of any of them, and Reid looks a lot like the victims. Most of them were young men around Reid's age with Reid's body type and hair color. We think that Reid was probably the intended target," Prentiss said slowly.

"It would also explain why he took more time with Reid in the car," Hotch continued. "He beat up Reid pretty bad while he just drugged Morgan. It would be a much easier route to just drug both of them, but he chose to hurt Reid."

"So this turns our rich unsub into a rich homosexual male who is a sadist that likes younger men,  
Rossi concluded. Hotch looked back at the bulletin board, and his eyes lingered on the photo of Reid from a happier time. Hotch fought back the tears in his eyes, and looked away.

"Yes, it does."

"So maybe, with Harold, he had an attraction towards his older brother. His brother didn't have the same feelings, and so Harold killed him," Rossi said.

"And since the death of his brother, he's been looking for more people to play out his sick fantasies with," Prentiss said.

"Let's release this new profile to the public in the morning," Hotch said.

"But if we're fairly certain that our unsub is Harold, why can't we just get him now?" Prentiss asked.

"He hasn't done anything wrong yet. We have no probable cause to search the house," Hotch said.

"And we don't have a tour guide," Rossi said quietly so it was hard for Hotch to hear him. "We are running out of time. Morgan and Reid won't last much longer. Hold up…" Rossi said.

Hotch and Prentiss stayed quiet, and listened to the faint voice of J.J. talking to Garcia in the background.

"A black car is leaving. I'm going to follow it. It's late, and this Harold fellow should be in bed at this time," Rossi said.

They heard the car start up, and J.J. ended her conversation with Garcia.

"Be careful," Hotch warned. "Keep us updated over here."

* * *

Harold hummed to the music as he drove past the children's park, and into the grassy area only a block away. He got out of the car with Timothy, and walked through the dark park. He knew that the agents were behind him, and he wondered how long it would before they parked their car, and followed him with their guns drawn. It did look suspicious Harold thought. He was alone in a deserted park walking his dog after midnight. He paused to let Timothy do his business when he heard a twig crack behind him. He didn't turn around. He knew who it was.

"Have you gotten lost agents on your way back to the station? I can assure you that you will not find the station here. This is a dog park. I've come to walk my dog after a long day," Harold said. He saw the blonde agent hiding behind a tree in front of him, but she wasn't going to do anything stupid. She just wanted her friends back.

He turned around, and saw the older agent standing in front of him. His gun wasn't drawn, and he didn't look scared at all. Harold would be if he was following a psychopath in the middle of the night.

"We're not lost Harold. I just don't know many people who walk their dogs at one in the morning. We thought that you might be lost."

Harold smiled. Maybe he should have invited this older man to his party instead of the dark agent. This man seemed much more interesting.

"It is quite difficult for me to get lost in my own neighborhood. Timothy was awake, as was I, and I don't think there is any law which prohibits a man from walking his own dog."

"We were just wondering if you'd like to join us down at the station. We have a few questions that we would love to ask you. You could bring Timothy along if you like," Rossi said.

"I would very much like to meet the other agents, but could you please tell your little friend to stop circling behind me? It is rather annoying." He heard the rustling behind him stop.

Harold picked up Timothy, and walked over to Rossi. As soon as he was next to the agent, a phone in the agent's pocket started buzzing.

"Rossi," he said without stepping away from Harold.

What fun this would be! Harold had never been present before when the authorities discovered one of the bodies. He wondered if he would be allowed to tag along. This was just like one of the old detective films where the brave police officers searched day and night to track down the murderer. Harold was always able to guess who the bad guy was before anyone else could.

* * *

Markus turned up the music loud as he drove through the neighborhoods. He had to find a way to get his mind off of the bleeding man in the backseat. Markus didn't know if he was dead or not. He didn't bother to check.

"And the search goes on for the two missing federal agents," a lady on the radio said. "If anyone has any information regarding their disappearance, authorities are pleading with you to call." Markus turned off the radio. He'd rather put up with complete silence than listen to friends of the agents begging for their friends to come back. He parked the car in front of the park, and tossed the unconscious agent near one of the slides. The man didn't move as his body was thrown onto the ground. Markus debated turning the agent over to give him some privacy, but decided against it. He couldn't risk leaving any trace behind. He did want to lower down the agent's arms. They had been held above his head for so long, and Markus thought it was the least he could do to lower them down to his sides. He picked up one of Morgan's hands when he heard some noise coming from deeper in the park. He dropped the arm, and got back into the car.

* * *

"Come on, you're all talk and no walk man. I bet you'll never ask her out!" Dan said. The high school freshman was staying the night at his best bud's house, but after a long night of mindless games, they decided to take a walk outside. While the heat didn't go down much after the sun set, it was better than sweating away inside.

"I will. Just give me time. I need to think of something really cool to say. You know? Like, um, I know you don't know me yet, but I think we have a whole bunch in common. You like the track team, and I was on the track team!" Tobey said.

"Now, that's like lame. She'd think you were a stalker and move on," Dan said. He looked around, and thought how spooky this stupid park looked at night. The swings were slowly moving in the wind making creaky noises that you really only ever hear in horror movies.

"It's like scary out here man. Let's go back. I ask Anna to make us some lemonade or something," Tobey said turning around.

"Wait," Dan mumbled. There was something lying underneath one of the slides. "What is that?" He pointed to the dark figure in the sand.

"I don't know. It's probably nothing. We should go back," Tobey grabbed his arm, but Dan ignored him. He got closer to the slides, and saw that it was a person by the slide. His instinct told him that is was probably a bum who had gotten drunk off of the few bucks he earned off the side of the street that night. The only problem with that was this was a rather wealthy neighborhood. There were mansions down the street, and bums were not welcome there. Tobey stayed back in the grass, but Dan walked up to the figure in the dark. He knelt down next to the man, and carefully touched one of his arms to wake him up. When the man didn't budge, Dan knelt down closer to him and saw that this was the man who was on the news.

"Oh my God, Tobey, this is one of the agents!" Dan put his hand underneath the agent's nose, and to his relief, the guy was breathing. "He's alive, but he's like bleeding." Dan could see blood all over the agent's stomach and chest. He couldn't see where the blood was coming from, but there sure was a lot of it.

"He's naked," Tobey lamely said.

Dan looked down and saw the Tobey was right, but this was totally the missing agent.

"Call the police! Now!" Dan demanded. Tobey fumbled with his phone, but he had somehow dialed the correct number. Dan tried lowering the man's arms, but he saw that something was severely wrong with them. They looked out of place. "His arms are broken or something."

"Hi, um, my name is Tobey. Um, me and my friend were out walking in the park because we got bored at my house and my sister was being a jerk, and yeah, I have an emergency. I'm getting to it! Um, we were walking and we found somebody. My friend thinks it's one of the missing agents. He's pretty bloody, and he's missing his clothes. My friend thinks his arms are broken too…yeah…" Tobey covered the end of the phone and bent down next to Dan. "Which agent is it? Do you know?"

Dan bent down to look at the man's face. Surprisingly enough, there wasn't any blood on his face so his features weren't covered.

"Um, what were their names again?" Dan forced his brain to think back to the news broadcasts that had been on nonstop for days now. "Um…It's Agent Morgan. Tell her it's Agent Morgan!"

"My friend thinks its Agent Morgan ma'am."

"Stop saying my friend!" Dan yelled. Why did Tobey always do that? Tobey never wanted to take the blame for anything.

"He's breathing, but there's like a lot of blood. When can the police be here?"

"You didn't even tell her what park we're at smart one," Dan mumbled.

"She's tracing the call stupid," Tobey commented back. "No ma'am, I was talking to my friend. Do you want us to like move him closer to the parking lot or something?"

Dan bent down, and held onto the agent's hand. The hand was cold to the touch, but he was still breathing. The more Dan looked at him, the more he became convinced that this was one of the missing agents from the television, but where was the other one? There were two agents that were missing. The other one was younger…he had to be here too somewhere.

"Tobey, look for the other agent. If one is here, they both must be here!"

Tobey nodded, and wandered off in another direction. Dan held tight on the agent's hand.

"It's going to be alright Agent Morgan. Help is on the way," Dan whispered in the ear as he heard the approaching sirens. "I'm sure your friends will be so happy to find you. Tobey is looking for Agent Reid right now. We're sure that he's here too. You're going to get better. I'm sure of it," Dan said. The man made no movements to acknowledge that he heard anything that Dan was telling him. Dan's mother had always said that people who were unconscious could hear everything that was said to them so Dan continued to whisper words of encouragement until he heard the paramedics running up behind him.

* * *

Rossi hung up the phone and looked from J.J. to Harold.

"We're going to have to reschedule that meeting Harold," Rossi said. "Please free up a date for me in that busy calendar of yours." Rossi turned around to get back to the car.

"I do hope everything is alright agents. I pray I will hear from you soon."

Rossi didn't say another word until they were back in the car.

"What happened? Why aren't we talking to Harold?" J.J. asked.

Rossi drove to one of the parks that they passed on the way there. It wasn't hard to find. The lights from the ambulance guided the way.

"Two kids said they found Morgan in the park," Rossi said slowly.

"What?" J.J. asked looking out the window. "He's in the park? Oh my God. Is he alive?" Her words were coming out quickly, and she was breathing faster.

"Calm down J.J. He's alive. Call Hotch." She nodded, and pulled out her phone.

"Hotch?" her shaky voice sounded like a ghost in the car. "Yeah, they found Morgan. We're going to see him now." She hung up the phone a second later, and she almost jumped out of the car when Rossi pulled in the parking lot. Rossi stayed close behind her as they followed the urgent voices of the paramedics. He grabbed J.J.' s hand when they found the circle of people near the playground. She would have run right to where Morgan was lying as people around him tried to work on him. He was completely naked with several deep marks across his chest and stomach. Rossi also noticed that both of his arms looked out of place. He wanted to run over to the scene as well, and try to assure Morgan that everything would be alright, but he knew that he would be more of a hassle than help to anyone. Morgan needed the help of the medical officials right now. There was nothing more Rossi could do. Rossi did notice two teenagers were sitting by themselves on a bench nearby.

"Stay here J.J. Don't get in their way," Rossi said. He walked over to the two boys, and sat down on the ground in front of them. They must be the people who found his lost friend.

"Hi guys," Rossi said. The boys barely looked at him. Both of them were shaking, and one of them even looked near tears. "So you guys are the ones who found Agent Morgan?" They both nodded their heads. "My name is David Rossi. What are your names?"

"My name is Dan," the first boy said. He looked over at his friend who was now starting to cry, and then he looked back at Rossi. "This is Tobey."

"Can you tell me what happened? Did either one of you see anything?"

"We were just out walking. We were having a sleepover and we just got bored at his house. That's all. I swear. Is he going to be okay?" Dan asked looking over at Morgan.

"We don't know yet. Both of you are heroes. Do you know that? If you didn't call when you did, Agent Morgan would be dead by now. You saved his life."

"We're sorry we couldn't find your other friend. We tried looking for him. We really did, but we didn't see him anywhere," Dan continued.

"Agent Reid you mean?"

"Yeah, the other missing one. I figured that if the bad guy dropped one of them off, he probably put the other one here somewhere too," Dan said quickly. His eyes were also starting to tear up.

"I don't think the bad guy would have dropped both of them off. Bad guys usually don't work that way," Rossi said.

"Please, just let us know if he's going to be alright. His hand was so cold," Dan cried out.

"You held his hand?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah, my mom, she works as a night nurse sometimes. She said that if you hold their hand and like talk to them, they like that. We're not dumb little kids anymore. Just tell us the truth."

Rossi was shocked that one of the kids was actually holding Morgan's hand. He stood up, and hugged Dan. This boy had truly acted like a man in a time of crisis. Rossi would make sure that when Morgan was well enough, the kids would be able to meet him.

"Thank you for staying with Morgan. Talking to him like you did is probably one of the reasons that he is still alive now. I cannot thank either one of you enough," Rossi said. He pulled out his card, and handed it over to Dan. "I'm going to go check up on Morgan now, and she what exactly happened. Please, feel free to call me if you have any questions. Morgan did get pretty beat up, but I'll make sure that when he is well enough, he will personally thank both of you."

The boys weakly smiled, and Rossi left them on the bench. He was sure that their mothers had been called and would be picking them up shortly. J.J. was still standing by the tree with her arms wrapped around herself. She was still crying. Rossi walked up behind one of the paramedics, and looked down at Morgan.

"Will he live?" Rossi asked. One of the workers turned around, and looked like he was about to yell at Rossi when Rossi flashed his badge.

"Oh, sir, we're not sure yet. He's lost a lot of blood," he said moving to the side as a bed was brought to take Morgan away. "We're taking him to the hospital now. You can follow behind us, or one of you can ride in the ambulance with us." Rossi turned around to see what the worker was staring at when he saw Hotch and Prentiss run up beside J.J.

"Thank you," Rossi said. Hotch came up to him, and left Prentiss behind to comfort J.J.

"What exactly happened? That is Morgan then?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah, that's him. He's still alive. They're taking him to the hospital now," Rossi said watching them put Morgan in the bed.

"Who found him?"

"Just a couple kids. They didn't see anything Hotch."

Hotch nodded, and paused for a moment to watch them wheel Morgan away to the ambulance.

"Reid's not here then, is he?" Hotch asked looking around.

"No, he's not. I haven't looked around yet, but I don't think he's here." Rossi closed his eyes, and wished to God that he could send messages to other people through thoughts alone. Reid wasn't here. He knew that much. He was also still convinced that Harold was the person behind all of this, but he was working with accomplice.

_i hope you enjoyed this chapter! dont forget, PLEASE review!_


	21. Chapter 21

_shorter chapter but fun_

Reid didn't know how many times he woke up during the night. He wasn't even entirely sure that it was night. Each time he opened his eyes, the room started spinning and he would fall back into unconsciousness. He welcomed the dark world he saw whenever he shut his eyes. Only there could he escape from the unbearable pain that his body was going through. He didn't remember dreaming about anything particular. All he knew was that when he finally woke himself up, he felt like dying from the aching in his head. He stretched out his legs, but cried out when he tried moving his hips. It was then that the images from his graphic rape came back into his mind, and all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. Every inch of his body was in pain, and he couldn't even comfort himself in a fetal position. He weakly lifted up his head to see if Morgan was awake, but he wasn't against the wall.

"Morgan?" He tried looking around the room, but it was hard to see much from the angle he was at. He was tied on the table, and moving anything but his neck brought agonizing pain to his body. He tried to keep his ears alert, but all he could hear was his own frantic breathing. Where was Morgan? He tried moving to his side, but he collapsed back on the table with a loud scream. His swollen arm was broken, and he couldn't move far without causing a burning sensation in and around his entrance.

"Morgan?" he weakly called out again. When he still didn't hear anything, he brought his head back down to the table and tried to cry. His body was shaking, and he couldn't get his breath under control, but he knew how sick he was. He was sick, and now he was alone. He couldn't feel any tears falling down his face, and he couldn't rely on the kind stranger to keep coming back to water him. Reid couldn't even remember the last time his stomach growled. He was going to die in that room and he would never be able to see his friends again. They meant the world to him. He just hoped that they knew that. Was Morgan set free? Morgan couldn't have died. He was stronger than Reid was, but why would Harold just let him go?

"Morgan…" he whispered with his quiet voice. Did Morgan die? Was Morgan killed after Harold raped Reid? Was he killed trying to defend Reid? His genius brain tried desperately to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but there was too much that Reid just couldn't understand. He started to cough as his heart pace rose. Morgan just couldn't be dead. Reid's eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell into blackness once again.

* * *

Markus was driving back when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He was about to ignore it when he saw his sister's name on the caller ID.

"Hey. It's late. What are you doing up?"

"I was sleeping. I had a nightmare. Oh my God, it was horrible. That bad man who took the agents, he found me and the kids. The baby was screaming…oh my God, Markus. There was so much blood. I want you over here with us. I'm scared," she cried out.

"You're fine. It was just a dream."

"But it could happen. They haven't that bad guy yet. He's still out there, and I'm so scared for the babies. I'm scared for you too. Most of the abductions happened in your town. We'd just all be safer if you came over here."

"I can't just get up and leave. I have a job. That's how I can send you all this money. I work hard for it. Harold needs me. Everything is going alright."

"I'm scared. They still haven't found those missing agents. What's he doing to them? I'm thinking of going down to the police station to see if they have any leads or anything. I'm scared to go sleep at night because I keep thinking some madman is going to break in and kill us all."

"You're safe," Markus said parking the car in one of the garages.

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Go to bed. I'll call you in the morning."

"I love Markus. Please, be safe."

"Good night." He hung up the phone before his sister could say anything else. Would his sister be devastated if she knew that Markus knew the killer? She couldn't blame him. Markus wasn't really doing anything wrong. Markus couldn't get her voice out of his head. She really was scared. Markus got a water bottle of the refrigerator, and made his way back up to the dark room.

He slowly opened the old door, and peaked in the room. He didn't see Harold anywhere. Harold must have already gone to bed. He slowly walked to the wooden table that the boy was strapped to, and he cringed when he saw the rack that the other agent was chained to. There was a lot of blood on it. He pulled up the chair that he saw next to one of the walls, and he sat down to the young agent. He gently touched the boy's shoulder.

"Hey," he said. "My name is Markus." The boy didn't move so Markus tried pushing against the agent a little harder. He almost left when the boy lightly moaned. It took several minutes before the boy finally opened his brown eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he shut it again. He looked scared.

"It's alright kid. My name is Markus. I've just brought you up some water," Markus said lifting up the bottle for the boy to see.

"Where's Morgan?" the boy said so quietly that Markus could barely hear him.

"He's going to be fine. I promise. The rest of your team has already found him."

"Could you please help me? I have to get out of here. I'm really sick." The boy pathetically tried moving his arms, and cringed when he was struck with pain. Even if Markus wanted to, he knew he couldn't get the kid out of the room without breaking something else. The boy's body seemed too thin and delicate to be messed around with anymore.

"I can't. Here, open your mouth," Markus ordered. He opened the bottle in front of the agent so the agent would know it was safe to drink, and he poured some of the water into the agent's open mouth. He wasn't surprised when the agent started coughing after only a few sips. He needed to go to a hospital. Markus could try giving him all the water he wanted, but it would be useless if he threw up everything given to him.

"Can you please just tell my team that I'm still alive? Please?" The boy laid his cheek back down on the table, but his body was still trembling. Markus wanted to get the kid onto his back at least, it might be easier to drink that way, but if Harold found out, it could be death for both of them. He stood up, and he felt himself tearing up when he looked at the kid's pale back. If Markus wasn't able to turn the boy around to soften any of his pain, he could at least clean off some of the blood and pus. He found a rag on one of the back cabinets, and came back to the agent.

"I'm going to clean you off a little. Is that alright?"

"Aaron Hotchner is the leader of the team. He won't let anything happen to you if you just tell him where I am. I'm not going to last in here. Please."

Markus gently put the rag down on one of the bloody marks across his back, and tried to ignore the hissing noise coming from the agent. He patted down the wound with the tag, and gathered up as much blood as he could, but the agent wouldn't stay still.

"Burns," he whispered when Markus stopped. Markus looked down at the agent's rear end, but he wasn't ready to touch the kid down there. He didn't even know if the bleeding had stopped down there. Harold really did tear the kid apart.

"I'm sorry," Markus said. He really meant it. He didn't want the kid to die. He hadn't done anything to deserve this. "Do you want me to put your legs together?" Harold had left the kid's legs untied, but they were still spread eagle on the table where Harold left them.

"Please, talk to my team. I promise you that Harold won't hurt you anymore," he begged.

"Good evening Markus," an all too familiar voice said. Markus dropped the rag on the kid's back, and looked up to see Harold standing in the doorway.

"Sir? I was just.."

"You don't need to say anything else Markus," Harold said walking up to them. He put a hand on Reid's back, and ran his fingers down the back and between the boy's legs. Reid cried out, and he tried lifting up one of his legs to kick Harold but Harold was too quick for him. Harold moved up to Reid's head, and held the boy tightly by the hair on his head.

"Um, I just wanted to tell you that the agent is sick. It looks like most of the scratches on his back have gotten infected, and I think his head wound is getting worse as well," Markus said.

"You are quite right," Harold said twisting Reid's light brown hair in his fingers.

"Get off of me," Reid whispered.

"Oh, isn't he the feisty one?" Harold laughed and released Reid's hair from his grasp. "He is just so beautiful. Doesn't he look just like Michael?"

"Michael sir?"

"Oh, I would just love one more go at him, but it is late. I'll be ready after breakfast," Harold said as he ran his hands back over the agent's backside. Markus wanted to attack him. It was different seeing it happen right in front of him like that. The boy was shaking all over while Harold kept weaving his fingers in between the kid's legs. Reid let out a pained gasp as two of Harold's fingers disappeared, and Markus was about to say something when the boy collapsed.

"You're going to kill him sir," Markus said.

Harold pulled his fingers out, and patted them down with the rag still on Reid's back.

"What I do with my guest is my own business. He is my responsibility, and I will make sure that he is well taken care of in the manner I see fit. If he dies up here, it is because of my choice. I don't want to see you up here again Markus unless you are personally invited me. Do I make myself clear?" Harold dropped the soiled rag on top of Reid's matted hair.

"Yes sir," Markus said looking down at the boy.

"Good," Harold said walking towards to the door. "Make sure you take that water bottle with you on your way out." Harold slammed the door behind him, and left Markus with the boy. He took the dirty rag off of the kid's head, and gently moved his legs back together. He thought about cleaning some more blood off of his thighs, but Markus didn't want to get into any more trouble. He had done all he could do here. He wanted the agent to wake back up to sip some more of the water before he left, but Markus didn't want to bother him anymore. He locked the door behind him, but he knew that if he didn't act soon, the boy's voice was going to haunt him forever. The boy was begging for his help.

* * *

J.J. sat next to the others as they waited in the hospital for any news of how Morgan was doing. She hadn't been able to get a good look at him back in the park, but Prentiss kept telling her that it wasn't anything that she wanted to see. After she had calmed herself down, she knew that she had to call Garcia. She pulled out her cell phone, and dialed up the tech goddess.

"Garcia," the blonde said from the other end. Garcia did sound better than she had in previous calls, but she was still not her cheerful self.

"Hey. It's J.J. I just wanted to tell you that um, we found one of the boys."

"WHAT?" Garcia screamed into the phone. "Tell me, Morgan or Reid? Is he alright? Is he awake? When can I talk to him? Where's the other one? Which hospital are you at? Give me like an hour and I'm there. What kind of flowers would he like? Oh my God, J.J., where's the other one? What happened?"

"It's Morgan," J.J. said. She waited for Garcia's reaction before saying anything else.

"You found Morgan? He's alive, right? Is he okay? Is he awake?"

"He's alive. Some kids found him in a park tonight. He's in surgery right now. We don't know anything else."

"Where's Reid…?" Garcia asked after a moment of silence.

"He wasn't in the park."

"Maybe he wasn't taken then! Maybe the sicko just took Morgan, and Reid got away and ran away to be safe, and he's just waiting for one of us to tell him that it's safe," Garcia rambled.

"It was Reid's blood back in the SUV. The unsub was also sending us those pictures of both Morgan and Reid," J.J. choked out. It was hard for her to think about Reid scared and alone with another psychopath. "We think Reid is still with the unsub."

"No, no, no, no. My poor baby!" Garcia sobbed through the phone.

"We'll find him," J.J. said. She hung up the phone before she could burst into tears like Garcia. How could anyone hurt someone like Reid? She was guilty of teasing him as much as Morgan did, but that was because he never really tried to fight back. His genius IQ kept him safe from much of their jokes, but that wouldn't protect him from a psychopath.

When the doctor finally came in, every single of them jumped to their feet. J.J. wrapped her hands tight around her cell phone. The background for the phone was that photo of Reid that Morgan took that horrid night.

"Derek Morgan?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Hotch said stepping forward. "I am SSA Aaron Hotchner, and this is my team. How is he?"

"He's going to live. Both of his shoulders were dislocated, and one of arms is broken. I'm happy to say that none of the marks on his chest and back are infected. They should heal nicely in time. He was badly dehydrated though, and he's lost a considerable amount of blood. He's resting right now, but I don't want anybody disturbing for at least a few days. If he wasn't found when he was, he probably would have died. I expect him to make a full recovery."

"Thank you doctor," Hotch said.

"When can we see him?" J.J. asked.

"The nurses are just moving him to his room now so you will be able to visit him later tonight."

They waited until the doctor left, and then they gathered in a tight circle.

"We can't all wait here for him to wake up," Rossi said. "He's going to live. The unsub is still out there, and he still has Reid."

"You're right," Hotch said.

"Garcia said that she wanted to come visit," J.J. suddenly said.

"Shouldn't she be working on the computers?" Rossi asked.

"She hasn't been feeling well since they were abducted," J.J. said. "She's going to bring Morgan flowers. It will really cheer him up."

"That's a good idea," Prentiss said patting J.J.'s back.

"Only one of us should stay here with Morgan. I'm going to need all our man power to bring this guy down. Assuming our profile is correct, the unsub never wanted Morgan. Reid has always been the one in real danger. I don't think this guy is going to come down easily. I'm not going to sit around and wait for this bastard to send us more pictures," Hotch said.

"All of us should go then," Prentiss said. "This unsub is dangerous, and I'm afraid he'll just kill Reid if he's corned. We can wait for Garcia to get here, and then we can leave. If Morgan won't be awake for several days, we can get Reid and get the unsub put away before he wakes up."

"We still don't really know who the unsub is though. What will we do?" J.J. asked.

"Go back to the crime scene," Rossi said. "I still Harold is the one behind all of this. He just has someone else working for him. It could be a friend or even someone from his staff. The person working for him probably isn't as smart or as clever as Harold is."

"Markus!" J.J. exclaimed. "Remember him? He was that shaky butler guy from the party. He looked scared when Harold snuck up behind us."

"Okay. Prentiss and J.J. can go talk to this Markus fellow. Rossi and I will go check out that park where Morgan was left. It will be a lot easier to look around once the sun is up," Hotch said.

* * *

Harold snuggled with Timothy for almost an hour. The dog was the only soul who ever really loved Harold. The dog didn't fight against Harold's kisses, and he never disobeyed an order.

"Who's a good boy? Are you a good boy? Oh yes you are. You're the good boy. Do you want a cookie? Cookie? You do? Are you sure? Do you want a cookie?" He laughed as the little dog jumped around him and barked. Harold surrendered the piece of meat, and tucked himself into bed while the dog ate.

How could Markus betray him like that? Markus had no reason to be in that room with his guest. Harold got Reid for his own, and he wasn't about to share the boy. If Markus wanted a playmate, all he had to do was ask. Maybe Harold should invite Markus to the party after breakfast. He had loosened the boy enough so there wouldn't be much blood during the next round. Markus would probably enjoy watching the fun that he was going to have with his young guest. Satisfied with his plans for tomorrow, he pulled the covers up to his chin and closed his eyes. He felt complete for the first time since the death of his brother.

_*big dramatic voice* DUN DUN DUN. what will happen? will harold kill reid? will markus change his mind and help the team? will timothy ever learn how to swim? the answers to this and more are revealed in later chapters but for now, the review button needs to be clicked on! thankies!_


	22. Chapter 22

_poor reid! im going to cry =( this chapter is pretty graphic again. just a fair warning..._

Prentiss and J.J. were up bright and early the next morning. Morgan had not woken up once during the night, and so the team split up without any helpful hints from their sole witness. Prentiss and J.J. were back at Harold's mansion by nine that morning. J.J. was nervous about being there again. From Rossi's actions alone, J.J. knew that Reid was in that house. She looked up at the windows for any mysterious action coming from inside, but the house was silent.

"Well, he certainly is wealthy," Prentiss commented as they climbed the small staircase to get to the front door.

"He has elevators," J.J. said.

"Wow, well, if something happens which makes him move out, I'm moving in," Prentiss joked. She rung the doorbell, and stood back to wait for someone to answer the door. "You don't think Harold will answer, do you?"

"I don't think Harold would ever hear the doorbell if you rung it 20 times and his house was on fire," J.J. said. She looked back at the upstairs windows, but all of the curtains were drawn over the dark rooms.

"Good morning ladies," Markus said as he opened the door. J.J. had never been more grateful in her life to see a butler. "The master of the house is not yet awake. He likes to sleep in on the mornings after his parties, but he should be awake in an hour or so. Shall I tell him that you stopped by?"

"No, Markus, right? Actually, we're here to speak with you," Prentiss said quickly.

"With me?" Markus looked behind him, and slipped outside. He shut the door behind him. "Why me?"

"We just wanted to talk to you about Harold," Prentiss continued. "Have you worked for him long?"

Markus made sure the door was shut behind him, and he led them over to one of the stone fences around the house. He sat down on it, and bit his lip. J.J. noted that his nervous actions were very similar to how she saw him act next to Harold at the party.

"I've worked him for like forever. He pays well, and I'm able to help support my sister. It's easy work, and he never asks me to do anything I don't want to do."

"Does Harold go out much? Does he like to date?" Prentiss asked.

"He goes out sometimes," Markus said slowly. J.J. didn't believe that for a second.

"Do you anything about his past or the history of the house?" J.J. asked.

"I don't think I've been in every room in this house. I think it would take weeks just to get a good view of the entire second level," Markus joked. "Um, Harold grew up in this house. He lived with his parents and his older brother, Michael. I don't think he ever really knew his parents. He doesn't talk about them much. His brother died in this house actually, just a few years ago. It was a freak accident. His parents moved out soon after the funeral, but Harold didn't want to leave so they basically gave him the house. Harold's been living here alone ever since. He pays us all double on holidays, and we can have time off whenever it is needed."

"Have you ever seen Harold get angry?" Prentiss asked.

* * *

Markus shut his eyes, but all he could see with his closed eyes was the boy bleeding upstairs. He needed to tell these agents that their friend was dying in one of upper wings, but he couldn't.

"Harold doesn't get angry often. He is a very controlled individual. Whenever he is angry, he usually just locks himself in one of his bedrooms," Markus lied.

Markus watched the pretty blonde fumble around with something in her purse. She was the girl that he had been seeing on all of the news broadcasts. She handed him over a photograph, and Markus reluctantly turned it over. It was a picture of the young agent who was begging for his help. The agent looked like he was fast asleep in a car. He probably didn't even know he was getting his picture taken.

"I noticed that Harold took the pictures that we gave before, but here's another one," she said. "His name is Spencer Reid, and he's only 27 years old. He's the youngest member on our team, and he is the sweetest person that you will ever meet. He's extremely smart, and he tries sometimes to act older than he is. Whoever has taken him as been sending us photos of what is being done to Spencer, and it's not good. I don't think Spencer would ever hurt a fly. Please, Markus, have you seen him?" J.J. pleaded. Markus knew what she was doing. He wasn't stupid. If she put a personality with the photograph, Markus would be more likely to tell her what he knew. He knew the boy tied to the table was probably a sweetheart. He never started cussing, and even when he was talking with Harold, he seemed to keep his manners.

"I haven't seen him. I'm sorry," Markus said handing the picture back, but J.J. wouldn't take it.

"He loves magic," J.J. added. "He doesn't like the dark…Please, keep the photo." J.J. was getting teary eyed, and she turned away from Markus.

"I'm sure he's still alive," Markus lamely said. J.J. offered him a weak smile, but walked away. Prentiss handed him one of her cards, but she wasn't smiling.

"Please call us Markus if you remember anything. Any call you make would be confidential of course, and anything you can tell us would help a great deal. I don't think our friend can last much longer Markus. I am frankly surprised that you haven't asked for a photograph of the other agent that has been missing," Prentiss said.

"You never brought him up," Markus said. "Is he alright? Has he been found?"

"You could probably try asking Harold as well if he has seen Spencer Reid. Show the picture to the other people on the staff. It's the last photo taken of him before his kidnapping. We found a lot of blood in his seat and on the dashboard. Reid was fighting for his life," Prentiss continued.

"I have to go," Markus said. He didn't want to hear anymore about how his employer brutally beat up a kid who was still into magic tricks. "Harold will be waking up soon, and his breakfast still isn't made." Markus didn't even know how much she was telling him was actually true. He watched in films where cops made up a bunch of lies to get a witness to talk.

"My phone is always on. If someone you talk to does know where Reid is, please tell that person not to leave Reid alone in the dark…" Prentiss said. Markus hurried inside and locked the door behind him. He looked out the peephole, and watched the two agents study the upstairs windows for at least five minutes before finally walking away. He breathed out a sigh of relief, but then he looked down at the picture of the sleeping boy. Markus hid the picture in his pocket, and went into the kitchen to tell the chef what to make up for Harold before he forgot.

Without giving himself time to think anything through, he walked all the way to the dark room once again. He unlocked the door, and found himself staring at something that did seem like it would be more suitable for a horror movie. He walked up to the boy who looked he might had been sleeping peacefully if were not for the blood stains across his pale body. He put a firm hand on the kid's shoulder and nudged him awake.

He pulled the picture out of his pocket and showed it to the young agent before any words were spoken. The kid looked at the picture, and then looked back up at Markus.

"Where did you get this?"

"Your friends, they were here this morning. Two girls…I forgot their names but one had brown hair and the other had blonde hair."

Reid looked back at the picture, but he turned away when he started to cough. When he looked back at Markus, he looked even paler than last night. His lips were chapped and lightly bleeding, and his brown eyes were hidden from the dark circles around his face. He looked like a ghost.

"Are you going to let him kill me?"

"What? What did you say?" Markus couldn't believe the kid just asked that. He would never let somebody die if he could help it.

"Are you going to let Harold kill me, and then help him get rid of my body after I'm dead?" He coughed again, and turned away from Markus.

"You're not going to die down here kid," Markus said slowly.

"Please Markus," Reid said turning around again to look at him. "I am going to die soon if something isn't done. When I cry, I don't feel any tears. I think I have a fever, Harold said my cuts were infected, and my head is aching whenever I blink."

Markus touched the boy's forehead, and was alarmed how hot his skin was when the room was so cold around them. He needed a hospital.

"I'm scared," Reid said quietly. "Just talk to my team, please. You don't even have to tell them that I'm here. Give them another reason to search this house. Please…"

"Oh Markus, I see you got my invitation," Harold said interrupting their conversation. Markus wasn't startled with this unexpected visit. He had come to expect the unexpected when regarding Harold and his guests. Harold was taking off his button down shirt, and folding them on a table near the door.

"Yes, I got it sir. I wouldn't miss it for the world," Markus lied. He seemed to be lying a lot lately. He would have to remember to attend church with his sister next Sunday.

"Good, good. I have never had a third person in the room before, but this should prove to be yet another adventure. Don't you agree?" Harold took off his socks, shoes, and his belt and placed them next to his shirt.

"Yes sir, I agree completely." Markus looked down at Reid who seemed to have some trouble staying conscious. His breathing still seemed too fast, and his body still had a slight tremble to it.

"I do have one rule with this, and that is to not disturb anything. You shall watch, take mental notes, and enjoy the show. Do not speak with either one of us, and do not leave the room until I say it is alright to do so. Understood?" Harold took off his pants, and folded them on top of his shirt. Markus felt his stomach drop. Was he going to rape the kid? Again? In front of Markus?

He bent down to the kid who understood completely what was going to happen, and Markus could feel his pulse get faster than before. Reid looked up at Markus, but Markus didn't know what to do. What could he do? What was going to happen was something that he couldn't prevent. If he didn't comply, Harold could go after his sister. Harold knew how much Markus treasured his sister. Markus stepped away from Reid whose eyes got bigger when he realized that he was, once again, alone with Harold.

"Get away!" Reid yelled at Harold with surprising strength. Harold had already gotten rid of his underpants, and was dragging his fingers across Reid's delicate cuts. Harold bent down and ran his tongue through one of the open wounds, and Reid cried out with pain.

"Please! Markus, help me! Please!" Reid screamed. Markus watched in silence. Harold climbed on top of the struggling boy, and ran his large hands over the boy's cheeks. Reid was weakly bucking up his hips to throw the stronger man off, but it wasn't doing any good. Harold had himself planted firmly in between Reid's legs, and Markus noticed that he was already playing with Reid's scrotum. Reid bit his lips, and stared directly into Markus' eyes as Harold violated the most sacred parts of his body. His lips were quivering, and he couldn't stop himself from yelping with pain whenever Harold decided to nip at Reid's fragile skin.

"Now you see Markus? Just get yourself right in front of the entrance like so," Harold said. He was holding himself steady at Reid's rear. Markus tried to distance himself from Reid's accusing eyes or from the scarlet blood that was dripping from one of the cuts that Harold opened back up with his tongue. "All you have to do is push yourself in when you feel the moment is right."

Reid arched his back and opened his jaw wide as he let out a horrible scream when Harold pushed himself into Reid's entrance. Markus couldn't believe it as he watched Harold pulled himself out to the tip and rammed himself into the boy again and again. Each time, Reid let out a scream, but the screams got softer and softer. His struggles against his attacker weakened, and soon, the noises that came from his mouth were nothing more than sobs. Harold had his hands back around the boy's member, but Markus turned away. He wasn't going to watch the boy ejaculate and scream at the same time.

Reid's breaths were getting faster, and when Markus turned back to see what was happening, his heart dropped when he saw Reid glance at him every few seconds. Reid was still hoping that Markus would be the one to save him from his terrible fate, but Markus never spoke up. Harold's hands looked sticky, but Markus was glad that he was leaving the boy's member alone again. His hands were glued in one of Reid's wounds which made Markus wonder if Harold's hands were really better placed on the kid's sex. Reid weakly cried out one last time as Harold pushed himself deeper inside the boy's body¸ but his eyes rolled back into his head. The boy was gone as Harold breathed out a sigh of relief. It was over. He pulled himself out of Reid without any warning, and after cleaning the blood off of his sex, he got himself dressed.

"Have you learned anything Markus? If you would like a friend of your own, please do tell me. I would love to share mine with you, but I am a bit worried about diseases. I learned all about sexually transmitted diseases from my tutors, and I am not that willing to get one. Feel free to stretch out your fingers, if you know what I mean, but nothing more. I truly enjoyed myself this morning, and I hope that you did as well. I'm off to take Timothy for a walk in the park. I should be back in an hour or so." Harold buckled his belt back on and left the room without anymore news to Markus.

Markus sat in shock for some time after Harold left. He had never seen someone get raped before, especially an agent working for the FBI. The boy's breath had calmed down since he collapsed, but his rear end was still bleeding. Markus wasn't responsible for this though. Harold would have done this to the kid with or without Markus' presence. He was nothing more than a victim himself. If the boy who was still afraid of the dark died up here on the damned table, Markus could not be held responsible. The kid probably shouldn't have been working the FBI in the first place. It was a dangerous job, and he was still much too young. Markus stood up, and pulled a few stray hairs away from Reid's face. He wondered if the kid was dreaming at all. His dreams would be the only way that he could truly escape.

* * *

Rossi walked around the park while Hotch took more notice of the sand lot where Morgan was found. Rossi didn't know what he was expecting to find. Finding Reid tangled up under some bush would be nothing more than a God send, but Reid wasn't there. There were no signs of Reid anywhere. Nothing looked out of place in the park at all. Whoever had Morgan dropped him off and left in a hurry.

"Do you think he heard the kids coming?" Hotch asked as Rossi came back.

"That's what I'm thinking. He wasn't here for long before the paramedics got here."

"There's some dried blood on the sand here, but Morgan was bleeding pretty bad. We can test for fingerprints on the slide, but I'm betting you that we'll find the fingerprints of at least a thousand children, but no unsub."

"He didn't come here to play. He came here to drop Morgan off and leave. He left in a hurry. He didn't want to get caught," Rossi said sitting down on the slide.

"So our unsub is daring while his helper is a chicken? I guess that works with the dominant personality and the submissive personality," Hotch concluded as he pulled the buzzing phone out of his pocket.

"Hotch….yeah…are you sure? Thanks Prentiss," he said putting the cell phone back. "The butler of the house started acting really strange when they gave him another picture of Reid. He kept going on about what a great guy Harold really is, but he got nervous when J.J. gave him the picture of Reid sleeping in the car. He suddenly had to go. Sound suspicious?"

"Just a bit," Rossi said. "Are they going to clean up this sand before any kids come by here again? I wouldn't want my kid playing around in bloody sand."

"I'll make sure to tell someone about that," Hotch said. It would have been a marvelous thing to joke about at some point if the blood on the sand didn't belong to one of their own.

* * *

Harold heard the voice of the older agent from over the trees. The park where Markus dropped off that rude man wasn't far away from the dog part at all. He didn't recognize the second voice, but he had no doubt that they were still trying to find the beautiful boy who was having an amazing time at Harold's secret party. How truly dull they were! Didn't they have anything else to discuss, any other hobbies that they could do with their spare time other searching for Harold's guest? The boy wasn't going to be found.

He sat down on a bench with Timothy to watch the children play in the park across the way. The small section where Morgan was left was blocked off, but the rest of the park was still open and waiting for playmates. The children ran around without a care in the world. They were laughing as they kicked themselves into the air with swings, and the only things in their minds were what little game they would play next. Harold was most attracted to a little boy who seemed a bit different than the rest. He was the smallest of the children, and as fast as he ran, he couldn't keep up with the others. When he fell, Harold got up to help the little boy to his feet.

"Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" Harold searched for truth in the child's green eyes. The little boy seemed more confused about why an older man was helping him up more than anything else.

"I'm okay mister. Who are you?" The little boy brushed the dirt off of his knees and stood up to look Harold in the eye. Harold just loved the innocence of children. They trusted everyone.

"My name is Harold, and I'm here with my buddy, Timothy."

"Can I pet Timothy mister?"

"Call me Harold," he said laughing.

"Don't talk to the strange man Andy!" a woman yelled. Harold turned around and saw a young woman with brown story grab the little boy.

"Sorry mommy. His name is Harold," Andy said smiling. The woman hugged the boy as tight as she could. Harold thought she did have a right to be afraid. It was a dangerous world.

"I apologize. I just don't like it when he runs off like this," she said.

"I understand completely. There's a serial killer on the loose. I do believe that one of the federal agents is still missing, and he disappeared only a few blocks from here," Harold said smiling.

"I know," the woman said. "I've got to go."

"Are you going to protect your mommy Andy? Keep her safe from all the bad guys out there?" Harold ran his finger across the little boy's cheek.

"Yes, I will. The soldiers in my room will protect us."

"Really? How many soldiers are there?" Harold really wanted to have a child like this one.

"Like a billion! They are really good at fighting!"

"Can they protect you at night when the bad guys sneak in your house with guns?"

The woman turned around to hide her son from Harold's view. Another shame. He really wanted to talk with the little boy. He was smart, and he was almost as pretty as the young agent. Harold erased those evil thoughts from his mind. He would never hurt a child.

"Thank you for helping. We're leaving." She trotted off away from him without ever letting Harold say goodbye to the little boy. Harold really longed for some kind of relationship. He never trusted women, but he loved all little kids. He could still remember playing tag with his older brother in the long hallways of their home. They even roller skated down the winding passageways until their mother found out about that and scolded them. That was really the only time that Harold ever saw his mother, when she was yelling at him. He didn't even remember seeing her much after Michael's funeral. She never wanted to know him.

Things were slowly starting to fall apart. His faithful guest wasn't going to hold out much longer, Markus was acting strange, and Harold really had no plans for his immediate future. What would happen? Did he want to go off and get married? He hated that idea. He'd rather just adopt all of the children he could, but then it might be rather difficult to explain to them the significance of the secret rooms. He couldn't stop what he was doing. Doctor Spencer Reid was the kind of guest he was looking for, he knew that now, but just because he found someone to replace Michael, that wasn't going to stop him. Harold knew how very sick he was. He was going to continue inviting guests into his house until he was taken away.

He looked around the park to study the other people enjoying their day. He would need to replace the doctor soon enough. If Markus was right about the boy's health, his heart was going to stop beating by the next morning. Harold wasn't going to drop the body off right away. The boy had the most beautiful body that Harold had ever seen. He wanted to play with it a big longer before the decay started. He did need to find someone else to entertain once the boy was gone. That would be the mission for the day. He needed to act fast.

_learning a whole bunch about harold in this chapter. more than you wanted to know, right? i think i like timothy. he should be in it more. dont get, REVIEW!_


	23. Chapter 23

_hello loyal readers. the story is sorta coming to an end. theres only going to be a few more chapters after this which is kinda sad but reid isnt going to last much longer lol. _

* * *

Reid's stomach was spinning, and he was having a difficult time keeping any thoughts together. What was happening to him? Even though he had become conscious, he decided to keep his eyes closed. Light really hurt his eyes, and the nausea in his stomach threatened to make him belch again soon. He couldn't remember the last time that he had anything to eat or drink. He felt the burning sensation all over his back and in between his legs, but he couldn't put any ideas together about what was going on. Markus wasn't going to help him, his team still hadn't found him, and his body wanted to shut down. As much as he wanted the blackness to completely take over, he couldn't. He knew, even as dizziness wiped over his sick body, that they were looking for him. He wasn't going to give up.

* * *

Harold got some fast food for his lunch. He loved going through the drive through, and he felt flattered when one of the workers commented on how beautiful Timothy was. He did not feel more proud in all his life. He let Timothy nibble on the French fries as he kept an eye on the young woman from the park with her son. He had it all planned out. He would invite her to stay in his house, and she would be able to help the doctor pack his belongings on his last night there. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with the little boy yet. He would never let the little boy stay upstairs with the doctor and mother, but maybe the little boy would enjoy the play room. Harold loved the play room when he was much younger. It was one of his favorite rooms in the entire house. It had a large train that circled around the entire room, and Harold used to let his pet mice ride on the train. He kept his collection of teddy bears, plastic figurines, and porcelain dolls safe in that room. He was sure that Andy would love it.

He waited outside the woman's house for an hour or. He couldn't see what they were doing from inside the locked house, but he knew that they would be coming back out any time now. He kept himself busy with crossword puzzles in the newspaper. Michael was always better at solving them than he was. It just never came easily to him, but he wouldn't stop trying. He would get it right someday.

He had almost fallen asleep from complete boredom by the time she came out. She was holding a water bucket with her hair pulled back in a pony tail. Harold gave Timothy a quick kiss on the head, and he got out of the car with his needle in hand. His heart wasn't even pounding. It was a lot more fun with two grown men to have to take down. It wasn't difficult at all to take over a woman who wasn't that large to begin with. He walked up behind her, and plunged the needle into the side of her neck. She never even turned around. She collapsed on the sidewalk near her car, and Harold caught her water bucket from falling with her. He didn't like to waste food or water when there were so many people dying of starvation and dehydration in the world. He put the bucket by the front tire of her car, and he tossed her over his shoulder. Her hair didn't smell as good as the boy's hair did, and her skin was not nearly as smooth. He couldn't complain though. She would have to do for now. He threw her in the backseat, and laughed when Timothy started barking at her.

"It is quite alright Timothy. She wants to stay at our house for a little while if that's good with you. I think that she will offer us some pleasant company. Don't you think? We do need more females around the house." He threw a blanket over her body so he wouldn't frighten Andy who would be riding next to Harold in the front seat. He ran his fingers through his hair, and wiped some sweat off of his brow. It was still fairly hot outside.

Harold walked back up to the house, and rung the doorbell. He was making sure that none of his clothes were wrinkled when the little boy answered the door.

"Oh, hello Harold! Mommy is watering the plants," Andy said.

"I have not come to visit your mommy. I've come to see you! How old are you Andy?" He bent down, and felt the little boy's breath on his skin.

"I'm six years old, but I'll be seven soon!"

"Wow! You are such a big boy! Do you want to do something that would be loads of fun?"

"Like what?"

"I have a huge playroom full of the coolest toys. I'm a bit too old now to play with all my toys, but you look like you would be the perfect age. My little dog and I came to pick you up to take you to the toy room. Would you like that?"

"I would, but I need to ask my mom. She doesn't like me going places when I don't tell her," he said looking out behind Harold.

"But it was her idea!"

"It was?"

"Yes, she saw Timothy and I just outside while you were watching television. She told me that because your birthday isn't far off, it would be a divine idea to invite you over. You can even pick out a toy to keep for your very own."

"Oh really!" Andy walked outside next to Harold and shut the door behind him. "I would really love a new toy car. Mine keep breaking. I don't know why. Mommy says I play too rough with them, but cars are supposed to go super fast. Duh. That's why they're cars. Does mommy know what time I'm coming back?"

Harold smiled, and led the way back to the car.

"She knows. Don't worry Andy. What would you like for dinner tonight? I have a cook that make you up anything that your heart desires."

"Um, do you have chocolate chip waffles? Mom bought them for me once, like a long time ago, and I really liked them."

Harold opened up the door for Andy to get in, and watched as Andy fastened his seat belt.

"Are waffles really considered a breakfast food?"

"Maybe."

"Alrightie then, we shall both have waffles for dinner tonight. I am sure Timothy would love that idea too."

Harold got into his seat, and turned the music down lower so he would be able to hear anything the little boy said. He glanced in the back seat to look at the blanket, but it had not moved. He couldn't wait to get back home. It had been so long since children played in the toy room.

* * *

Garcia had brought five stuffed animals with her, three balloons, and several cards to decorate Morgan's hospital room with. Even with all the vibrant colors, the room was still as dreary as ever. It was even worse whenever she thought that Reid wasn't in the room next door. Reid was still in the dark place where Morgan almost died, and he was alone. The doctor had told her that it was a good idea for her to talk with Morgan because he would be able to hear everything that she told him. She talked to him for almost an hour about random topics that she found interesting, but he never acknowledged that he heard her. She was decorating the room with some pictures that they took in the office back in the day when she heard him moaning.

She turned around and saw that he was tossing and turning in his bed. Sweat was dripping down his dark face, and his eyes were shaking under their lids.

"Oh my God, no, no, no, no," Garcia cried out. She ran over to the side of his bed, and she tried to calm him down by squeezing one of his hands and patting the sweat off his forehead.

"It's alright sweetie pie. It's alright…" Nothing she did would calm him down. She felt her own heart start to race. He had to be okay. He was safe in a hospital getting hydrated, and his cuts would heal up nicely. He wasn't supposed to be acting like this.

"Nurse!" Garcia was pushed out of the way when one nurse shoved her way in. She checked the machines that were connected to Morgan, and she patted him down like Garcia had been doing. In a few minutes, Morgan was back to sleeping peacefully.

"It was just a nightmare. He's going to have quite a bit of them with what he's been through. It's completely normal," the nurse said smiling.

"How is it normal to have nightmares like that when you're unconscious?"

"He's not dead. He's still going to have dreams just like anyone else would. All you have to do is comfort him a little and whisper in his ear. There's no saying how long the nightmares will last or if they will go away after he wakes up. He just needs your support right now."

Garcia nodded, and slipped one of the pink bears underneath Morgan's arm. The fluffy animal might remind him of her, and that might keep him more relaxed. She sat by his bed, and just watched him sleep. The image kept popping in her head of what would happen when he woke up and saw his arm holding the pink bear safe. He would kill her for getting him a hot pink bear, but even though she was smiling, she felt a tear fall. When would Morgan wake up?

* * *

"_Reid!" Morgan screamed. His arms were being held high above his head, and he could smell blood all around him. He was back in that room, that room that he hated more than anything in the world. It was dark, and his scratches were burning into his skin. Where the hell was Reid? He needed to get the kid out there._

_He tore his arms from the leash on the wall, and he screamed out as the bloody spikes dug deep into both of his wrists. He ignored the pain as best as he could. He was free, and that was that mattered. He paused for a moment to gather his breath and to let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting, but then he was wandering off deeper into the room. He saw firsthand what kind of instruments of torture that Harold had collected over the years. Most of the strange devices he hadn't ever seen before in his life, and he was happier not knowing what kind of pain that they inflicted. They hadn't been washed in years, and that was deadly in and of itself._

_Morgan finally saw a pale figure on the floor near one of the cabinets at the end of the room. The figure wasn't moving. Morgan took a deep breath, and stepped slowly towards the body._

"_Reid? Wake up kid. It's just me…" Morgan did his best to steady himself and he had to hold onto the damned table to keep himself from falling over. He was terrified of what he would find when he finally found the courage to see who the body was. It couldn't be Reid. Reid wasn't dead. The team was going to find them in time, and Reid would be laughing about the entire ordeal in a few weeks time._

"_Reid?" He took a step closer, and looked down on the pale body in front of him. As much as it killed him to admit it, the frail body belonged to Reid. Morgan fell on his knees, and burst out the tears that he couldn't hold in any longer. Reid's body was curled up in a fetal position, and his cracked lips were still open from the last breath he took. His broken and bruised arm was still swollen, and there was a small trail of blood that led back to the table. His delicate fingers were wrapped around a small hammer that he must have found in the cabinet. The hammer was probably the last weapon that Reid had to defend himself with, but it didn't look like he ever had to use it. He didn't last that long._

_Morgan picked up the cold body of his dear friend, and started bawling. Reid couldn't be gone. He just couldn't. It was Morgan's job to keep Reid safe. He was older than Reid, and he had been in the field a lot longer than Reid was. Why couldn't he handle someone like Harold? What made Harold different than any other psychopath he had dealt with? Why wasn't Morgan there when Reid took his last breath? Why did Reid have to die alone?_

* * *

Markus sat in one of the chairs by the fireplace, and watched two other members of the staff work on making the windows shine. Watching the fire helped him gather his thoughts together. His boss was a psychopath who enjoyed raping and torturing people in one of the forbidden wings of his house. Markus had no parents to worry about, but he did have a sister who was working her life away to help care for her two children. She was alone in the world, and the only person she could lean on was Markus. If Markus made Harold angry, there was no telling of what Harold could do to Markus or what was left of his family. If Markus kept Harold happy, an innocent kid who was even younger than his sister would be subject to daily rapes and be forced to die a horrible death. The more Markus thought about it, the more the situation became the question of would he rather risk his own family in order to save a stranger.

When the younger of the two window washers left, Markus turned to look at the other. It was an older man, older than Markus and Harold combined. Markus imaged that the man had been working for the family long before Harold was even born.

"Yes sir?" the older man said when he noticed that Markus was staring at him. Markus was the highest paid servant of the household, and with that pay raise was the authority to tell the others working in the house what to do. When Harold wasn't around, it was Markus who was in charge.

"What is your name?"

"David, sir."

"What do you know of the east wing in the third level of the house?"

"The master spends quite a bit of time up there, but he does not allow anyone to go into those rooms to clean. He doesn't give us an explanation, and no one has thought to ask for one. Why do you ask sir?"

"If you had to choose between saving the life of a total stranger if that meant endangering your family, would you do it?" Markus watched the man put his wash cloth on the tile, and look directly at Markus.

"Is there something going on in this house that I should know about sir?"

"What would you do David?"

"I would risk my own life to save another."

Markus wanted to take the older man up the stairs and through all of the secret hallways to show him the dying agent tied to a table. No matter how he thought about it, it wouldn't work out. David would not be able to keep his mouth shut, and Markus would probably be in deeper trouble with Harold. He wanted the boy to be David's problem, not his.

"Sir, is there something that I should know about?"

Markus opened his mouth when he was interrupted by footsteps walking into the room.

"There you are Markus! Why have you not been answering your calls? I require your assistance out by my car immediately. I have another guest who will be staying here for a few days, and I would like you to show her to her room," Harold said. Markus didn't turn around, but he felt nervous when he knew that the older man was still watching him.

"Where's the toy room Harold?" Markus nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard a child's voice. He turned around and saw a little boy standing near Harold. The little boy was already getting his sticky fingers all over the furniture and glass figurines. Why were children always attracted to things that break easily?

"Sir, who is that?" Markus asked as he tried to keep his voice steady.

"Oh, were have my manners gone to? Markus, I would like you to meet Andy. Andrew, this fellow here is a very dear friend of mine, Markus."

Markus waited for the boy to be pointed in the direction of the toy room before Markus approached Harold.

"Where did you get that kid?" Markus whispered. His voice sounded harsh, but he couldn't control it. He thought Harold had gone too far that night when Markus was unloading two unconscious federal agents out of his car, but now Harold had found some random kid.

"What does it matter to you Markus? I just love children," Harold said smiling.

"Sir, you can't just go around taking people's children."

"Don't be ridiculous Markus. I don't go around taking children. I take adults as well, or so it seems. How old is that boy upstairs? I'm pretty sure he's reached adulthood. I don't think most children have pubic hair or feet that large. Have you checked on him since I've left? I guess you will be able to when you escort my newest guest to her room. I'm sure she would just love to bunk with the young Doctor Reid. If you need me, I'll be in the playroom. I want to go show Andy how to work the toy train. It will be just delightful!"

"Sir, what are you going to do when the kid upstairs is dead? The police have already come poking around here. It won't be long before they find him, and if he's not alive, all of us will be in a lot of trouble."

"They've already come? Why didn't you invite them inside? There's a new flavor of tea that's just come in, and I've been waiting to try it out with company. I've heard that it's the drink of the gods, and I am just dying to try some."

"The agent is dying, sir."

"I have no doubt that he is Markus, but that is really none of your concern. When he is dead, I will clean him up a bit more, but I want to keep him around for a while. I've never felt skin as soft or blood as sweet as his. He has the most beautiful eyes. I wonder if there is a way to preserve his eyes…I guess that I do have the photographs I took of him. Those will last a lifetime. I really would love to stay and chat Markus, but I have a train set to play with!"

Markus watched his boss run up the stairs like he had traveled through time and was a child again. When he looked towards the windows to explain himself to the older servant, the man was gone. Markus just hoped that the old fool hadn't figured things out already and was getting the police over. Markus wasn't ready for that.

Markus pulled the woman out of the backseat of the car, dragged her up the stairs, and chained her in the place where the darker agent had stayed. She was starting to wake up, but she was the chains were on her wrists tight. She wasn't going anywhere. Markus didn't feel anything at all for this woman. She was pretty with her dark blonde hair, but Markus was used to dragging people up the stairs just to carry their corpses down a week later. It was becoming part of his daily duties. He took off her shoes and socks, and then he walked over to the young agent.

The boy's pale skin was still burning with fever, and the infections on his back somehow looked worse than they did this morning. Markus would be surprised if the kid lasted until the next morning. He wondered if this boy had any family that would miss him once he was gone. As devoted as his team members seemed, they would probably mourn him for a month or so, but they would move on. They would forget that he ever existed. Markus squeezed one of the boy's hands to see if he could wake him up.

"Hey kid," he said gently. Markus was shocked when the boy slowly opened his eyes. Reid registered who it was, but the expression on his face never changed. Markus had let him down when he was screaming for his help during the rape. It would be hard to forget something like that. The boy probably did have a mother and father who would never get over the grief if they lost their son. Most people were lucky and were given time to spend with their parents. Markus was just not considered one of the lucky ones.

"I'm going to take these chains off you. Is that okay?" Markus asked. He waited a moment or so for Reid to make some kind of acknowledgement that he heard Markus, but he didn't do anything. Markus figured that the boy was too weak at this point, and the chains cutting into his wrists would just make him die faster. Markus gently pulled the chains off of the torn up wrists, and tried to be as tender as possible when he had to dig out two of the spikes that had lodged themselves in the kid's arms. Reid stretched out his fingers on one of his hands once they were freed, but he didn't try to move anything else. Markus wanted to move his arms down to his side, but he wouldn't be able to do that without hurting Reid some more.

"Thank you," Reid quietly said.

"Oh my God. Oh my God! Oh my God! Where am I? Help! Somebody! Help!" the woman suddenly started screaming. Markus took that as his cue to leave. He squeezed Reid's hand one last time before he left the room. He remembered to lock the door behind him.

_will markus change his mind and save reid? will harold rot in hell? will pigs ever learn to properly fly and when will people stop asking why the chicken crossed the road? the answers to this and more magically appear when you click the review button!_


	24. Chapter 24

_this chapter is kinda sad. reid isnt doing too well..._

"Oh my God!" Susan screamed. Where was she? She couldn't even remember how she got there. She had just given Andy a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and…oh my God. Where was her son? "Andy! Andy!" Tears were falling free from her eyes, and she tried pulling against the chains that were holding her to the wall, but it was cutting into her. "Andy!"

Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark room, but the more she saw, the faster her breathing became. There were all kind of strange tools hanging from the walls, and there was a cabinet that looked like it belonged in Rome before Christ. She started screaming when she saw blood on the floor near her feet. Was this hell? She had to calm herself down. If her son was in this room with her, he'd probably be more scared than she was. She needed to get control of herself. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She had to figure out her situation better before she allowed herself to freak out anymore. She opened up her eyes, and looked around the room again. She didn't look at the blood inches from her feet or the strange ladder thing that was in front of her.

On her second time looking around the room, she noticed the dull table near the back of the room. She held her breath when she saw that someone was lying on the table. The person was too large to be her son, and for that, she was grateful. The person lying on the table was man with tangled up brown hair, and pale skin. She felt her heart start to beat faster when she saw that he was naked, and that he was lying on his stomach. Blood was all over his body. She weakly tugged at her restraints again, and started crying again. Was she going to die? She almost screamed when she noticed that the body on the table was moving a little. He stretched out the fingers on one of his hands, and turned his head away from her to cough.

"Sir? Sir? Are you alright?" she asked. She almost didn't expect him to answer, but he turned his face towards her. She recognized him instantly. His face had been plastered all over the news for the past few days, and although he looked much different, she knew that this was one of the missing agents. She didn't remember which one, but she remembered his large brown eyes from the pictures they showed of him.

"Oh my God, you're one of the…the agents. They're looking for you!" The thought that she was with a trained federal agent only comforted her for a second or so. The fact came back to her that this agent had been missing for almost a week, and he looked like he was just about to die. If something bad was going to happen to her, he wouldn't be able to protect her.

"How did you get here?" he asked weakly. His voice was small, and he looked to her more like a little boy than a man working for the FBI.

"I don't know. Where are we? Do you know? Have you seen my son? He's only six years old, and he's never been away from me for long. I need to be with him. His name is Andy," Susan said. If he wasn't in this room with them, maybe he was still at home watching cartoons. She prayed he was. Her mother came by every now and then to check on him. She would be able to watch Andy until Susan came back.

She watched his tongue come out to try to wet his bleeding lips, and she was scared when she saw that his tongue wasn't wet. He coughed again, but he looked back up at her.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Susan. Please, I just want to see my son. He's just a little boy. We're all each other have. His father died a year ago in a car accident…he needs me. I'm scared. I don't want to die."

"I'm Spencer," he said. His voice was forced and shaky.

"Spencer Reid, right?" she asked remembering. He smiled a shy smile, but he closed his eyes. He was really sick.

"I'll find...Andy…" he mumbled.

"Have you seen him? Spencer? Have you seen Andy?" she pleaded, but he didn't answer. His eyes never opened back up. She thought he died for a second, but she saw that he was still breathing. "Please wake up…please…" she cried out, but he didn't move. "Help!"

* * *

"Hello? Is this the FBI people in town?"

Hotch and the rest of the team had returned to cool down in the police station. Every single one them was now convinced that Harold was the man that they were looking for. The only problem was that they had no reason to search the house.

"Excuse me, agents?" an officer said looking in. "There's a woman on the phone asking for you." Hotch nodded, and put the phone in the room on speaker.

"This is Aaron Hotchner," he said looking out the window.

"Hello. My name is Isabella, and I normally wouldn't be calling for you, but my daughter, she's been missing."

"What's your daughter's name ma'am?" Rossi asked.

"Maria. She hasn't called me in a few days, and when I call her, no one answers. Like I said, I wouldn't be calling the FBI but I know there's some killer guy on the loose. I'm scared for her."

"When was she last seen?" J.J. asked.

"I'm assuming she was at work. She works as a maid for Mr. Huntington."

"Mister who? What's his first name ma'am?" Hotch asked quickly.

"I believe his name is Harold. She works for him. He was paying her good money, but she kept telling me how strange he was. He stayed upstairs by himself for hours, and she said she was even scared of him sometimes. I don't know what to do. Should I go down there myself and see what's up? This isn't like my Maria. She calls me every night…"

"We'll find your daughter ma'am," Hotch said. "We're very glad you called us."

"Thank you so much for your help. Please tell me if you find anything. I've given my number to the first gentleman who answered my call, but I could give it to you as well."

"It's alright. We will call you when we get any information," Rossi said.

Hotch turned off the phone, and looked around at the team. It looked like none of them had slept for weeks, and he knew that none of them were eating well. The team was really destroyed when something happened to one of them, and they wouldn't be the same again until Reid was found alive. Hotch didn't even know whether or not to think that Reid was still alive. He always preached to his team and curious bystanders that they always presumed the missing were still alive unless there was evidence to prove otherwise. He really didn't have any evidence to tell him that the youngest member of his team was dead, but it wasn't looking hopeful. The pictures that the unsub had sent them was preparing Hotch to expect the worst. He would be the one to tell Reid's mother what happened to her son, and Hotch would be the one to pay for the funeral. All of this was his fault. Even before any of them arrived in this state, he knew that this serial killer was different than the rest. He couldn't put his finger on it, but that's why he didn't want any of his agents going out alone. If Reid was murdered because of this, it was his fault.

"I think that this is a good enough reason to go pay our friend Harold a little visit," Rossi said.

"Okay, this is serious everybody," Hotch said. "Although we don't have anything conclusive to prove that Harold is the man we're looking for, I'm pretty confident about this. When we do this, there's no going back and I'm not taking any chances. Harold is a very dangerous man, and he's a lot smarter than most of the people we've had to deal with over the years. I'm going to have Garcia get a floor plan of the house so we don't get lost once we're in."

"Are we actually raiding the house then? Do we have proper reason?" Prentiss asked.

"Reid's been missing for almost a week. He's dying, and he can't afford for us to waste anymore time trying to decide if Harold is really Reid's abductor. If Reid was really the person that Harold was after, he's not going to just dump Reid in a park…I think that he probably has that suspicious butler working for him. You said he acted weird when you showed him the picture?"

"Yeah, like he recognized Reid," J.J. said.

"When we go in, all of us are wearing vests. All of us will follow any action given to us. If I tell you to get out, listen to me. I'm not sure what to expect with Harold or his house so I need all of you to be careful and stay together. We're not splitting up. J.J. could stay here, and talk us through the house so we won't get lost," Hotch continued.

"I'm coming," J.J. said. "I want to come."

Hotch knew that J.J. treated Reid like her little brother. Everybody on the team did, but she did have a special relationship with him just because they were the two youngest. No matter what she said, Hotch knew that she still blamed herself for what happened to Reid with Henkle abducted him from the corn field. She needed to be there for him this time.

"Alright. Prentiss, can you call Garcia? Find out if there is any change with Morgan, and then we are going to need her to get the floor plans of the house," Hotch said.

"I'm on it," Prentiss said.

* * *

Harold watched the little boy rescue a Barbie doll from the train tracks right before the train hit.

"Mommy would love this train Harold. When can she come see it? Can I really have it? Don't you want it anymore?"

"Nope, it's all yours. I think your mother is resting right now. I can go check up on before dinner if you would like. She's had a long day. I think I should get another train. What do you think? We could race them in one the guest bedrooms," Harold said getting up. He really should go check on his guests. They were probably curious as to where he was, and he didn't want to be rude to company. He hadn't seen the boy since that morning, and it was almost time for dinner.

"Really? Are you serious? That would be so cool! Can I go see my mom too? I want to tell her about the train! She's going to be so happy."

"Actually, Andy, can I tell you a secret?" Harold asked bending over so he was more level with the little boy.

"I'm really good at keeping secrets!"

"Your mother and I are going to be talking to an FBI agent. Do you know what that is?"

"I sure do! They chase down all the bad aliens, don't they? They keep us safe!" Andy said.

"That's right, and the guy we're going to talk to, he doesn't want me to tell you about all the secret stuff that we're going to talk about so you can't tell anyone or he might go away. I'm going to have one of my servants take you downstairs so you can start eating your waffles for dinner, and I after I talk with the secret agent, I'll tell you everything he says. He's been telling me about bathtubs that actually sing to you!"

"Wow! How neat!"

"Santa doesn't even know about it yet, but you better keep quiet or we might not get one," Harold said.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't tell a soul!" Andy stood up, and pretended to zip up his little mouth.

"Good job!" Harold said patting his back. Harold was really going to love life as a father. "Just stay up here until Rebecca comes to get you."

Andy nodded his head up and down, and they he sat back down next to the train. Harold tenderly kissed the child on top of the head, and then he left to see what his guests were up to. He hoped they weren't having too much fun without him. He hurried up the stairs, now afraid that his guests didn't miss him, and that was such a dreadful thought. He loved them so. When he finally pushed up the door, he was happy to see that it was dead quiet.

He walked across the room, and studied the pretty woman tied to the wall. She looked a lot like the little boy. He reached out to see her hair was as soft as Andy's was when she was spit at him. He stepped back, and wiped the salvia off his check with his sleeve. Some people were just so rude these days. What kind of world were they raised in?

"Oh my God, it's you. Get me out of here!" she started screaming when she saw Harold.

"Oh my dear, I do forget my manners whenever I am in the presence of a beautiful woman. I do not believe we have properly introduced ourselves. My name is Harold, and welcome to my home. I apologize for the mess. I do have a tendency to forget to clean up whenever one of my guests leaves, but I hope that you will find it quite pleasant here. What is your name dear?"

"Go to hell!" she shouted, and she tried to kick one of her legs up at him, but Harold wasn't close enough for any harm to be done. Why didn't Markus tie up her legs? He would need a good talking to. Harold was not appreciative of his laziness.

"I do not believe that is your name," Harold said. "I will find out your name in time. Before I forget, the beautiful boy sleeping on the table bed is named Spencer Reid. Can you believe that he's a doctor? I'm not entirely convinced myself, but that is what his ID told me. I guess if one of us gets hurt, he's the person to go to. Then again…" Harold muttered thinking it through. "I don't even know if his doctorate degree is in medicine. It can really be in anything these days, no matter. Tell me, dear, how are you feeling?"

"I'm imagining your face when they find you and throw away the key to your cell. They are never going to let you out jail. Do you know that?"

"Jail doesn't seem like a very pleasant place to be, and I don't think I'd like to talk about that right now. It seems strange that one of your first phrases to me have to do with prison. Have you ever been to prison?"

"If you let us go now," she said looking over at the table, "they might not beat you up in jail."

"You like Spencer now, do you? He is quite beautiful. He's only 27 years old. Did you know that? Just a little baby…his friend was here too for a bit, but his friend was just so terribly rude. I don't like people who cannot speak to me without cussing."

"We just played a few games, nothing more…" Harold said. "What was your childhood like? Were your parents kind or cruel? What kind of punishments did they give to you whenever you were bad? Did you misbehave very much?"

"You have to let us go sir…if he is who I think he is, they're looking for him. When they find him, they will not go easy on you unless you stop this."

"My dear," Harold said leaning closer. "I will not stop until the party is over." Harold didn't like to feel so upset just before dinner time. It couldn't be good for his stomach. He stood up, and stretched his arms over his head. He felt the blood pulsing over his muscles, and it felt good to be alive and well. "I will show you one my favorite games to play with Spencer after dinner. I'm going to have waffles with a little boy named Andy."

He smiled as he watched her eyes grow wide. She threw her body at him, but she couldn't get very far because of the chains. Blood ran down both of her arms, and she was crying.

"Don't hurt him! Please…I'll do anything you want. Just don't hurt my baby!"

Why in the world would she think that he was going to hurt Andy? Didn't he just tell her that they were going to eat waffles together? He didn't mention that there would be chocolate chips in the waffles, but that was hardly a reason to think that he would kill a child. He was even thinking of putting _Peter Pan_ on to watch after the dinner. That would give him enough time to rest up his stomach for that night's activities with the young doctor. He looked over at the pale boy on the table, and he sighed. This would probably be the last time he would be able to enjoy the agent while he was still alive. Now, he was depressed and angry right before dinner time. He was already starting to not like this woman. She wouldn't even tell him her name!

"What kind of monster would hurt a child? Do you know any because I certainly don't! I will see you both after dinner. Make sure he's awake."

"How do you expect me to do that?" she yelled at him. "You're killing him! He won't wake up if he's not alive you creep!"

That did it. He could not believe that she just insulted him. She was just like that other agent. He couldn't control himself. He grabbed her by the throat, and squeezed onto her neck tight. He heard her making little choking noises, but she deserved it.

"Don't you dare call me another name like that again. Am I understood?" He didn't let go until he felt her nod her head weakly. He let go, and watched her cough as she started breathing.

"I'll send in one of my friends to make sure you both are ready. Do not disappoint me." He slammed the door behind him. He would have to make sure that the next person he invited into his private chambers would have enough courtesy to be grateful for his kind gestures.

* * *

Susan was sobbing again. She knew that man at the park was totally and completely crazy. She knew he was! She'd give up her life if she knew that her son would be kept safe. That's all she wanted. He didn't deserve any of this. Was this Harold guy being serious when he mentioned eating dinner with Andy? She was going to rip off her wrists if she found out that her son was getting hurt in any way. She looked over at the FBI agent when she heard the door open again.

She didn't know to be frightened or relieved when she saw another man come in the room. The other man looked nervous as he made his way over to them.

"Who are you?"

She watched him walk over to where the agent was, and he put his hand across one of the boy's wrists to take his pulse.

"Who are you?" she demanded. She was sick of people not listening to her. She was bleeding, she was freezing, and her son was eating dinner with a psychopath.

"He's still alive," the man mumbled. The man opened the agent's mouth a little more, and poured a drop or two of water onto his dry tongue.

"What are you doing to him? Please, sir, help us!"

The man finally turned around, and looked at her.

"Please, sir…my son, he's in this house somewhere. His name is Andy, and he's only six years old. Can you please get him out of here? You don't have to help us, just help my baby."

"He's eating waffles downstairs. The waffles are not poisoned, and I think he's already on his second helping. He's been playing with toy trains for most of the afternoon."

"Oh, thank God."

"You're his mother?" the man asked.

"Yes, my name is Susan. The man on the table is one of the missing federal agents that they keep showing on TV. Can you please get us out here?"

"You have to stay with us kid," the man said talking down to the unconscious agent again. "Come on, open your eyes for me."

Susan leaned back on the wall and watched the stranger try to wake the young man up. What in the world was going on? Who was this guy? He wasn't going to hurt them, but he wasn't going to help them either? She started crying again. All she could think about how she was never going to see her son again. She loved him more than anything.

_review= invisible cookie...and another warning for the next chapter, its probably going to be pretty graphic_


	25. Chapter 25

_and i continue adding more to the story and yeah. my favorite character will always be reid, but i think i like anne too =)_

Garcia was trying to keep as attentive as she could as she watched over Morgan. Prentiss had told her to listen to anything that he said in his dreams. Morgan would be able to save Reid without even knowing yet. The team was going to raid the house of the man that they had her look up earlier, and she could not have been happier to stay behind with Morgan.

"You guys are aware that this house isn't like four bedroom, three bath, right?" Garcia asked. She was decorating the stuffed animals around Morgan's head, and she giggled to herself when she was done. It almost resembled the scene from _E.T._ where the alien was hiding in the closet full of toys. She snapped a quick picture with her digital camera to show to Morgan later.

"Yes, we know Garcia. We just need you to send us an outline of the entire house," Prentiss said.

"This house has like 100 rooms. Okay, I'm exaggerating but it looks like you can get totally lost if you take a wrong turn. Are you sure Reid is in there somewhere?" Garcia was looking at the floor plan of the house, and she felt a headache coming on just from looking at the many rooms.

"We're pretty sure. Has Morgan woken up yet or said anything?"

"Not yet. If I were you guys, I think I'd check out the basement or attic first. They are like super huge, and it'd probably be a great place to hide people." She looked down at Morgan's nails, and she wondered if it would be a good idea to paint them or not. That would certainly pay him back for making her worry like that. He could have died.

"We're going to have a little talk with Markus once we get there. I have a feeling that he won't have any trouble at all letting us in the house. We're just going to need him to tell us where Reid is. I'm positive that he knows a lot more than he told us."

Garcia sat down the nail polish when she remembered the time that Morgan fell asleep in his chair at work and she worked together with Reid and J.J. to make a work of art on his forehead. He wanted to kill them when he woke up with a unicorn drawn on his head. Garcia saved the picture of it on her computer. It was right next to the photo of Reid sleeping in the car. She wiped a stray tear away from her cheek. They were going to find Reid, and he was going to be just fine. She didn't want to think about what was done to him, and what he had to suffer through while he waited for his rescue. Once they found him, she was never going to let him out of her sight again.

"You'll be the first to know when Morgan says anything," Garcia said. She heard the call end, and she put the phone on the little table. She just hated to see Morgan wearing a hospital gown with all kinds of little tubes going into his body. He needed to wake up soon. He was really the only one who knew where Reid was, and what was being done to him.

* * *

Prentiss printed out a copy of the map that Garcia sent her, and put it on the bulletin board next to a picture of Reid. Garcia wasn't lying. The house looked more like a maze from a Halloween festival than a place where somebody actually lived. J.J. came and stood next to her.

"You ready for this?" she asked J.J.

"More than ever…we need Reid here to memorize this floor plan for us," J.J. joked. "Do you think he's still alive? He was so sick when we found him at that cemetery. He's been gone a lot longer than just two days, and this guy is worse than Tobias was…"

Prentiss turned and looked at the blonde. J.J. was trying to hold herself together. That much was obvious from the way she had her arms wrapped around her chest, but she was standing straight and tall.

"I'm sure he's alive J.J., and he would probably hate you talking about him like that. He is a member of this time, and he went through the FBI training just like the rest of us did. He may not be as strong physically as some of the other guys on our team, well, all the guys on our team, but he knows how to take care of himself."

"Do you think he was…raped?" J.J. asked. "All of the other victims were raped, all of them. Morgan was the only one who got away from that."

She was right. Every single victim on their bulletin board had been sexually assaulted, and that happened on more than one occasion. They had all been tortured, raped, and killed.

"Maybe he's stopped that part of his pattern," Prentiss said lamely. "I mean, he didn't use to send us pictures of what he was doing either, but he's started now. He used to clean up the bodies before he dropped them off, and Morgan was found naked but he was still alive."

"Or that could mean he is devolving," J.J. said. She had tears in her eyes and fell onto Prentiss for a hug. "I'm so scared for Reid. I wish I could trade places with him. I deserve this more than he does. I don't know what I'll do if anything happened to him."

"It's alright," Prentiss said hugging J.J. "We're going to find him in time. Don't worry."

* * *

Anne threw a small suitcase into the back of the car. She wasn't going to make it a long trip, but she needed to check up on her brother. He had been acting so strangely the last couple of days. He didn't get out of the house enough, and she blamed Harold for working her brother too hard. He needed a break. She put her sleeping baby in the car seat, and buckled her older son right behind the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" Kyle asked.

"We're going to go visit your Uncle Markus. Won't that be fun? We're going to surprise him!"

"Yay! I like surprises. Does he live close?"

"Not that close sweetie, but I brought everyone a pillow so you can sleep on the way there. I'll still be driving after the sun goes down, but I'm sure Uncle Markus will let us sleep in one of the rooms that he works in. Did you know he works in a really big house? It's like a castle!"

"Are there any dragons?"

"I don't think there are any dragons, but if you do find any, I'm giving you the job of protecting me and baby Cistine," she said.

"I think I am a good fighter. Aren't I mom?"

"You are the bravest boy I know," Anne said smiling. She was proud of her son. She just wanted Markus to know her children better. She used to be so close to Markus when they were growing up. He did everything in his power to help her. He didn't have to send her any money, but he did. The little job she had wouldn't be enough to take of herself and her two babies. She would pay every cent back to Markus once she found a good job. She didn't even know how Markus was making all that extra money. She couldn't complain, but he never really explained it to her. She wanted him to find a new job. He started becoming distant towards her ever since he started working for Harold. She had never met him, but she already knew she didn't like him.

"Maybe Uncle Markus can help me learn some new karate moves. I want to be just like Spiderman. Mom, if I get bit a spider, will I be able to climb up walls?"

"I don't think so sweetie, but don't go looking for spiders. I had a friend who was bit by a spider when we were little and her legs swelled up so bad that we couldn't even see her knee anymore."

"Wow."

"Don't sound impressed. Kyle, don't you dare go looking for spiders."

"Okay mom," Kyle said.

"We'll be there in about an hour or so. Take a little nap so you will be able to fight off any dragons when we go into the castle."

"I don't need to sleep. I'm not a bit tired. I need to stay awake to make sure that no ghosts try to follow us so they can sleep in the castle tonight too, but they aren't allowed in the castle. It's only for real people only, no stupid ghosts."

"Alright Kyle, you can be the lookout."

They had only been driving for about five minutes when she glanced in the back seat and saw Kyle fast asleep next to his baby sister. She just hoped that Markus wouldn't be angry for her just showing up at the doorstep. If there were no spare rooms for them to stay in, she was sure that she could find a cheap hotel close by. She just wanted her children to be able to know their uncle. They didn't have a father. They needed a male role model to look up to. Markus would probably never want the children to leave once he got to know them. Kyle wanted so much to be like an adult. He tried watching the news on TV instead of watching cartoons, and he acted like a dad towards his baby sister instead of like a brother. If Markus could visit them more often, Kyle might go back to acting like a little kid. She missed her brother so much, and she just wanted Cistine to grow up knowing that she had a father like figure in her life. At this rate, she wouldn't have any idea who Markus was within a year. Anne wanted to know that she was doing the right thing by taking her children to go see Markus, but the setting sun in the sky wasn't going to give her any of the answers that she was looking for.

* * *

Markus paced outside in front of the dark room. The other two rooms in the hallway were quiet, and that left him hearing the pleas of the woman from inside the room behind him. Markus had halfway hoped that if that boy on the table died, Harold might stop what he was doing. Harold would realize that what he was doing was wrong, and that if he kept doing this to innocent people, more lives would be lost. With the arrival of this woman and her child, Markus knew that he wasn't going to stop. What would happen to him? He was sure that it would only be a matter of time before those nosy agents came back to find their friend, and when Harold was arrested, what would happen to him? Would he be considered an accomplice? Technically, he didn't do anything wrong. In fact, he thought that he was helping the victims. He had even been giving the two agents water which could have gotten him in trouble. Markus considered himself a hero really. When the agents finally did come back, he would have to tell them that he just found out what kind of monster Harold really was, and he would lead them to Reid. Everything would work out in the end. He just had to make sure that the kid stayed alive until then.

When he heard footsteps coming up the old stairway, he felt his heart start to race. He would have to tell Harold that the boy couldn't take another "adventure" that night. The kid kept fading in and out of consciousness. He really wasn't going to last much longer, and he couldn't show the FBI where he was if he was already dead. That wouldn't work at all. Maybe he would be able to distract Harold, and have him play around with the woman instead. She looked strong enough, and he was sure that she would comply as long as she knew that her son was safe.

"Sir?" Markus turned around, and saw the older house worker standing in front of the stairway.

"What?" How the hell did this guy get up here?

"Sir? You mentioned this wing earlier, and as I was walking up, I've been hearing strange noises. Is that a woman crying?"

Markus looked back at the door that was hiding Harold's secrets in this wing. He cursed her for being so nosy.

"Get back downstairs now!" Markus yelled. This man wasn't supposed to be here. He was going to ruin everything that Markus had planned. Markus had to be the one to lead the FBI agents to the secret room. He was the one who supposed to save the young man's life, and reunite the woman with her child. He was supposed to be the hero.

"Is that a woman crying?" he asked walking closer.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Markus quickly said. "Harold has me clean these rooms every week to keep them looking fresh in case he gets any visitors."

David came closer to the whimpering noises coming from the room behind Markus, and as Markus was about to shove the old servant away, David pulled out a gun.

"Please move along sir," David said calmly. "If you do not unlock this door, I will have to use force."

"You can't shoot me," Markus said. "You'll go to prison!"

"As will you if the people in this room are here against their will," David said pointing the gun at Markus' chest.

Seeing no other option, Markus unlocked the door and stepped aside. David kept his gun pointed straight ahead as he walked into the room.

"Oh my God, sir! Can you help us? Please help us!" the woman screamed as soon as she saw the old servant.

David walked closer to her, studied the chains keeping her against the wall, and then he saw the young agent lying naked and unconscious on the table. He got closer to the agent, and put his hand on the boy's wrist to feel for a pulse.

"Is this one of the missing agents from the television?" he asked slowly as he studied the boy's pale face.

"Yes, it is. Please help us sir! He's dying, and I need to find my son!"

Markus watched without saying as a word as the older man started to fumble around with the woman's chains. He wouldn't be able to get them off. It took training to be able to control those horrid things. The woman was crying again as he struggled to get them off. He was causing more damage than any good. Her wrists were bleeding, and her own pathetic tugs against the leash were just making it impossible for him to help her.

"Please calm down ma'am. I'm going to get both of you out of here. He's just alive over there, but he needs to go to a hospital. I'm afraid to move him," David said.

Markus crept across the room, and looked for something to stop this man with. He couldn't just do this. He was ruining everything. Markus found an old club, God only knew the last time that thing had been used, and he took it off the wall.

Reid started coughing, and everyone looked in his direction at the surprise. Markus crossed himself as the boy opened his eyes to look at the older man helping the distraught woman.

"Sir?" David asked. David knelt in front of the table, and put his hand on the boy's forehead to take his temperature.

"Hotch?" Reid asked as he tried to open his eyes wider to search for his boss. "Where's Hotch?"

"I don't know who that is, but I'm going to help you get out of here. Can you move?"

Reid stretched out his fingers on the arm that wasn't broken, and he tried moving his legs, but he cried out with pain from just trying to move one of them.

"I can't move that much," Reid slowly said. "My arm, I think it's broken, and my back…it really hurts. Is the rest of my team on their way?"

"Don't move son. It's alright," David said. He slipped off his work jacket, and put it over the boy's lower back to give him some privacy. Reid hissed when the cloth rubbed over his infected scratches.

"I'm going to help get this woman out of here, and I'll go downstairs to call the police. Just rest for now," David said. He patted the kid on his head to give some reassurance, and then he went back to work on the woman's spiked chains. It was time for Markus to act.

Markus took each step as quietly as he could, and he snuck up behind the older man. David didn't even see what was coming. Markus raised the club high above David's head, and he slammed it down onto the side of the man's skull. David dropped the gun as he fell to the floor. In one swift movement, Markus grabbed the sliding gun and shot David in the head. Blood squirted out from where the bullet went in, and the woman screamed as loud as she could as the blood splattered over her face. Markus couldn't believe what he had just done.

He dropped the gun near the man's body, and he couldn't stop his hands from shaking. He had never killed anyone before, and he didn't like the feeling one bit. The man was just getting in the way. Markus had no choice but to kill him.

"You killed him!" the woman screamed. Markus turned around to see how Reid was reacting. The kid was staring down at David's body, and was breathing faster again. Markus had to get the body out of there. He was never going to hurt the woman or Reid. He would never hurt anyone. He just had to get rid of the nosy servant.

Markus bent down, and dragged David out of the room. He already knew where to put the body so Harold would not know. Harold would find out in time, but by then, Harold would already be arrested and put away. Markus would blame the fellow's murder on Harold, and that would be that. Markus might even get some reward money to send to his sister. She was so afraid of losing the little job she had. With the bad economy, her job was cutting off people left and right.

Markus hid the man's body underneath a table in one of the smaller rooms in the secret passageway. Harold never liked the smaller rooms. He liked to give his "guests" a room with a view. Markus liked the door behind him, and went back in the room to check on Reid and the woman who called herself Susan.

He scrubbed the blood spot off the floor, and he tried to clean the blood off of Susan's face, but she was fighting against his assistance.

"Please, don't touch me!"

"That was an accident. I swear. He wasn't trying to help you," Markus lied. "He was just as bad as Harold is. He was trying to rape you!"

"I just want to go home. Please! Let me go see my Andy…"

Markus made sure that her chains were still properly in place, and then he went over to see how the kid was doing. Other than his fast pulse, the boy seemed to be doing about the same. He had stayed awake, somehow, but he didn't acknowledge Markus at all.

"I have a plan. Okay? Your team is coming back, and they're going to find you. I just need you to stay alive. It's all going to work out in the end. You'll see," Markus said with confidence.

* * *

Reid felt his heart pounding against his ribcage, and while the jacket around his butt did give him the privacy that he missed, it felt like needles against his fragile skin. It was getting harder and harder for him to keep his eyes open, and he had to fight against his body's will to just shut down completely. He couldn't believe anything that Markus said anymore. He may be broken beyond repair, but he could still comprehend things that he saw. That older man really was going to help them. Reid just couldn't figure out why Susan was there. Reid was still alive, and while he was weak, he was still breathing. Was Susan there to replace him when he died?

"Get out Susan out of here," Reid whispered. "Please." Reid wanted to say more, but he just couldn't. His body was running on empty. He needed water if anyone wanted him to stay alive.

"I'm sure your team members are on their way back here," Markus said. Markus pulled a water bottle out of his jacket pocket, and opened Reid's mouth to pour some more water in.

Reid reached his tongue out anxiously for anything that would help his headache come to a stop, but Markus didn't give him more than a few drops. Reid kept his mouth open for more, but Markus put the bottle away. Markus shut Reid's mouth, and stood up.

"Thank you," Reid weakly said. He didn't say anything when Markus left, and both of them heard Markus lock the door behind him. Reid prayed that Morgan made it safely to the hospital, and that he was going to be well again soon.

"Is your team really coming?" Susan asked.

"I don't know," Reid said. He was feeling a little bit better after the water, but he didn't know how long the good feeling would last.

"They need to hurry up. I'm so scared."

Reid didn't know what to say that. He had been trained how to keep people calm in difficult situations, and how to protect people from dangerous individuals, but this time, it was different. He tried to keep his spirit uplifted, and tried to convince himself that even though Markus had murdered someone in cold blood, he could still be speaking some kind of truth when he told them that they would be rescued soon. Reid had nothing else to believe in.

_and so the review button has been making nervous glances at you as you read through this lovely chapter. i think you should make the first move by clicking on it!_


	26. Chapter 26

_and so things are starting to speed up...im still pretty scared of harold you guys. hes the kinda guy that i would NEVER want to meet on the street. talking to him when he is locked away with steel bars and handcuffed might be interesting, but i wouldnt want to talk to him in a casual setting. 2 scary_

"Mister, I really liked the chocolate waffles, but my mom is probably going to be getting worried about me soon," Andy said pushing his chair away from the table. "She'd rather talk to me than some boring agent guy anyways. I'm sure of it!"

Harold set his fork down. He had barely been able to swallow a bite of the waffles. It wasn't that he didn't like waffles. He had set his body on a routine whereas now he only liked waffles in the morning. He couldn't stand them the rest of the day. At night, he craved meat.

"Andy, would you please stop calling me mister? That makes me sound…old…I'm not that old, am I?" Harold forced down another bite, and smiled at the child.

"No, I guess not. I really need to get home though. I'm sure it past my bedtime and mommy gets worried when I'm not with her."

"Why do you like your mother so? Aren't mothers just annoying? I barely knew mine, but whenever I did, all she wanted to do was pester me!"

"Mommy is annoying sometimes I guess, but I love her. Whenever I have a bad dream, she always sings me back to sleep. I tell her that only babies liked to be sung to sleep, but I really like it. She has the prettiest voice that I have ever heard."

Harold sat the fork down, and watched the boy dream in his head about his mother rocking him back into a deep sleep.

"Tell me, Andy, what kind of dreams do you have?"

"Oh, I dunno. All kinds. Um, one time, I was riding on the back of this huge T-Rex, and we were stomping on trees and stuff. He was cool. His name was Paul."

"Did you guys crush any people with his big feet or did he…eat anyone?"

"Ew. That's really weird mister. Why would Paul do that?"

"What kind of nightmares do you have? Do you have bad dreams often?"

"Um, I don't think I have them a lot. I'm scared of the dark though. Mom got me a dinosaur night light for Easter so I wouldn't have to sleep in the dark. Did you know that bad guys like the nighttime so they can sneak around and do bad stuff? I was watching this monster movie this one time and there was this kid, and he was going to bed, and there was a monster hiding in his closet and he didn't even know!"

"What happened in the conclusion of this film Andy?"

"I dunno. Mom saw I was watching it and she turned it off. She said that was a movie for big kids so I can't see it till I'm bigger."

"Are you afraid of your mother getting hurt?" Harold had lost all interest in the plate of food before him. He enjoyed watching the child swing his feet underneath the table, and glance around at the strange furniture around him.

"I would never let mom get hurt. I'm the man around the house. Did you know that? I get to protect her with all the soldiers in my room. Bad guys would be too afraid to come in our house when they see all the soldiers with their guns and stuff. Mommy said that daddy became a guardian angel and that he watches over us now. He wouldn't let anything bad happen."

"Well, your mommy, said she wanted to get some more top secret government information from the FBI man so she wants you to sleep over here tonight. I think she's trying to find out where they are keeping all the dinosaurs hidden."

"The FBI man knows where all the dinosaurs are? Mommy said that they went away forever."

"She thought so, but she's been talking to him, and she wants to get you a big old dinosaur for your next birthday."

"Wow!"

"But don't tell her I told you! If she finds out that you know, she might change her mind. Sound like a plan?"

"Can the FBI man come to my party too then? I'll invite him. He can ride my dinosaur too. I'm going to name him Paul, just like the one in my dream."

"You can invite anyone that you want. It's your party after all," Harold said patting Andy on the head. Andy looked ecstatic at the thought of getting a pre-historic beast for a birthday present. Harold loved children more and more. "But, little man, it's time for you to go to bed. I'll have Dana here," Harold said gesturing to the woman by the door, "take you up to your room. It's a really big room, and I've already had some of your favorite toys brought up so you can play with them after you brush your teeth."

"Do I have to brush my teeth?"

"If you don't, I'll tell the FBI man and your mom that you weren't very nice during our sleepover."

"Okay! Don't tell them. I'll do it right now!" Andy said as he raced out of the time. Dana nodded as she excused herself to chase after the little boy. Harold loved the innocence of youth. Harold nodded at the other servants to clean up the table as took off his suit jacket. He promised his guests that he would visit them before bed time, and he always kept his promise.

"Where is Markus? Has anyone seen him?" Harold asked looking around. He was rather surprised that Markus had not been trailing him ever since he brought Andy inside.

"We have not seen him," one of the women answered. "You have been keeping him busier than usual. He does not eat with us anymore since you gave him that raise."

"And do you miss him?"

"He used to be nice to us," the woman said keeping her eyes down at the table. She piled the plates onto her arms, and tried to balance them while Harold stared.

"What is your name? I do try to keep up, but forgive me when I cannot remember everyone. There are just so many of you, and most of the time, I only see one or two of you."

"Danielle, sir," she answered. Harold admired her long blonde hair, and the soft skin of her face. He considered her to be a rather attractive woman, and she was probably quite the looker of men outside. Harold had so very few young servants. He always found them harder to work with for some reason. They were usually always so curious.

"That is such a beautiful name. One of the tutors that I had growing up had that same name, and she just loved mathematics. Do you as well?"

"I hate Math, sir."

Harold laughed. He did appreciate her honesty, but the way she held her body so still as Harold got closer to her really put him on edge. He wasn't going to bite her. In fact, she was a possibility to replace Markus once he had enough money to support himself and his sister without Harold's help. It was honorable how much that man cared for his sister.

"I was never much into that subject myself. What area of study were you attracted to?"

"I liked History, but I am training to be a nurse. There is a lot of Math involved, but I want to be able to help people. My grandpa fell and hurt his hip about a month ago, and if I was able to help him better than I could, he might not have to be in a home now."

"Are you good with medicines as well and diagnosing what kind of disease someone has?"

"I'm getting better at it. I'm going back for more classes in the fall. Why do you ask, sir?"

"I know that people can live without water for three days," Harold said. "The human body can survive without any water for three days. How much blood could a person lose before they die?"

Danielle stopped piling dishes into her arms, and finally looked him in the eye.

"Why do you ask?"

This is why Harold didn't like women. They were always so complicated. When Harold told Markus to do something, he usually just did it. When Harold asked a woman a simple question, she had to go on and on about it. Harold should have known better. When women are asked the time of day, they would reply back with how a clock was made.

"Curiosity kills the cat," Harold said with a laugh. "It is getting late, and I should retire for the evening. I will have eggs and toast with my coffee in the morning. Make the boy whatever his heart desires, and you can tell him to eat in his room. I do not want him leaving the room when I am not around. Is this understood?"

"Yes sir," Danielle said. She put her eyes back down on the table, and started gathering the forks.

"Make sure you deliver the nutcracker to his room after breakfast. Do you think he will like it? He was sure going on and on about soldiers during dinner tonight."

"I am sure he will love it, sir."

Harold stretched his arms behind his back, and rolled his neck to waken up the muscles. He had a feeling that this would be the last night with his secret upstairs. The boy was breathing too quickly, and his skin felt like flame to the touch. Markus was right. The agent would be dead by the morning. Harold would have to enjoy him while he could.

"Good. Well then, I'm off. Have a pleasant evening Danielle, and I hope we can have another chat again soon."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

_Reid was tied onto the table, but Morgan could see his thin arms struggling to get free. Morgan still felt the blood streaming down his own wrists and the cold floor felt like hard ice against his feet. No matter how hard Morgan fought the spiked chains, he could barely get himself to move more than an inch. They had to get out of there though. Reid was relying on Morgan to save him._

"_Morgan!" Reid screamed out. Morgan looked up, and saw Harold appear out of nowhere. He was climbing on top of the younger agent who was weakly bucking his hips. Harold was wasting no time spreading Reid's legs apart, but he did take a moment to dig one of his fingers into the deepest scratch across Reid's back. Reid's head fell back, and he screamed._

"_Reid! Let him go you son of a bitch! Let him go!"_

"_Why would I ever think of doing such a thing Agent Morgan?" Harold asked. He bent down, and ran his tongue across the fresh blood on Reid's back. "He just tastes so good!"_

"_You fucker! Reid! Stay with me man!"_

_Reid heard Morgan's pleas, and he turned his face over to look at Morgan with his big brown eyes. He looked terrified. _

"_Help me Morgan," he whispered. _

_Morgan yanked as hard as he could at his chains, but his knees collapsed. His world was getting dizzy, but Morgan couldn't just leave Reid there like that. He had to stay awake. Reid had already turned away from Morgan's view, but Morgan could see clearly as Harold pushed himself deep inside of the boy that Morgan treated as a younger brother. _

"_Reid!" Morgan yelled, but he fell again. The spikes were digging into his wrists too much, and he wondered how much blood he had lost by those spikes alone. He wouldn't mind falling unconscious. In fact, he wanted it in some ways so he would not have to listen to the horrified screams of the youngest member of the team, but he couldn't leave Reid alone. If Reid had no choice but to face the demon of this house, Morgan had to too. _

"_Take me instead, Harold," Morgan pleaded. "Take me instead." He felt his body slump over, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open as long as possible. He couldn't pass out. He just couldn't leave Reid alone. He lifted his head up to see if the torment was almost over when he saw Harold wrap his hands around Reid's sex. _

"_Reid!" Morgan yelled for at last time. His body couldn't take anymore. He was using too much energy and losing too much blood to stay awake anymore. His body fell once more, and his vision was clouded in darkness._

* * *

"Morgan? Morgan? Are you waking up?" a familiar voice asked.

Morgan had a blistering head ache, and he had sharp pains on his chest and back whenever he took a breath. He stretched out his fingers and found a blanket covering his body, and two soft pillows were behind his head. He slowly opened his eyes, and his heart jumped when he was face to face with what looked like a pink fox looking back at him. He shoved it off the bed when he heard Garcia start to laugh beside him.

"Don't shove Candy off the bed like that. She just wanted to make sure you were alright!"

"Garcia?" Morgan asked. He pushed himself into a sitting position, and took in the room around him. He was indeed surrounded by at least ten stuffed animals, but Garcia was the only one there with him. Were the others with the kid?

"Are you thirsty or anything?" Garcia asked. She picked up a cup by his table side bed when he noticed that his nails were bright blue.

"Garcia, let me ask you something," he said.

"Only one question. You need your rest."

"Did you paint my nails?"

Garcia picked up the fox, and put it back on the bed with him.

"Maybe…here, you need to drink," Garcia said. She poured some of the cold water into Morgan's mouth. Morgan had never been happier to taste water on his tongue. He only had a few sips of it when he started coughing. Garcia put the cup back down and stood up to find a nurse.

"It's alright Garcia. I'm fine," he assured her.

"Oh my God, Morgan…don't you ever worry me like that again!" Garcia playfully slapped him on the shoulder, but the slap somehow turned into a hug. Morgan wrapped his arms around her tight, and he let her cry her tears on his shoulder. "I was so scared. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come back."

He kissed her on the cheek, and broke away from the hug. He didn't know what he would have done if he hadn't been allowed to see his tech princess one last time. She was still shaking when she wiped her face clean with some tissues.

"Morgan, I do have one question," she said after she blew her nose. "Well, it's more of a team like question. They wanted me to call them once you woke up so I'm going to do that now, but is the sicko who did this to you…is his name Harold? You kept saying that name in your sleep, but you were saying other names too. Is Harold the one who…took you?"

"Yeah, why? You guys don't have him yet?"

She pulled out her cell phone, and put it to her ear after she dialed.

"No, we don't. He still has Reid," she said slowly.

"What?" Morgan pushed the blanket away from his body and swung his legs off the side of the bed.

"No, no, no, don't do that!" Garcia scolded. She pushed him gently back onto the bed.

"What do you mean that you haven't found Reid?"

"We, they, found you in a park. You were unconscious…" Garcia pulled out another tissue. She was getting teary eyed just thinking about it. "I heard that some kids found you. You were beat up pretty bad….but you were there. You were still alive, and the medics got to you in time. Reid wasn't there. The entire park was searched, but our little genius wasn't there."

"Oh my God, Reid," Morgan said.

* * *

Hotch was trying to make sure that everyone had memorized the floor plans of the house as best as they could. Prentiss sounded confident that Markus would lead them to where their lost team member was, but Hotch wasn't going to rely on that alone. Garcia hadn't been lying when she told them that the house was nothing more than a large maze. All they had to do was take one wrong turn, and they could end up in another section of the mansion. If they did split up somehow, they were determined to stay in teams at least. Hotch would stay with J.J. while Rossi would go with Prentiss. Hotch turned around to watch them all put on their vests. While they did look exhausted, they also looked wide awake. All of them were determined to find Reid alive.

"Everyone have a copy of the floor plans in your pockets?" Hotch asked. Everybody nodded, and Hotch was about to go through the plan for the 100th time when his phone buzzed. He looked down and saw that it was Garcia.

"Garcia? You're on speaker."

"Morgan's awake," Garcia sang through the phone. She sounded thrilled, but her voice was shaking. She had been crying.

"Thank God," Prentiss said. "Is he alright?"

"I think he's going to be fine. Harold is the sicko you are looking for. He's the one who has Reid."

"We're heading over there in a minute. I'm glad we've got the right guy. Is Morgan still awake? We were thinking about looking through the basement first. That looks like one of the biggest rooms in the house."

"It would be a logical place to hide people," Rossi continued. "The basement is a house inside itself. Nobody working in the house would be able to hear what went on down there."

"He's still awake, hold on," Garcia said. The long pause she took to find out if Morgan knew which room they were held in got Hotch's heart beating fast. What would happen if they did find Reid in there, but he wasn't alive? Hotch had to prepare himself for that. Reid had been missing for days. The odds of finding his youngest team member still alive was unlikely.

"Morgan says it wasn't the basement. He remembers hearing footsteps walking up stairs whenever the bad guy came to see them."

"Was it the attic?"

"It was a big room, but it wasn't big enough to be the attic. There weren't any windows so he thinks the room was probably hidden away somewhere from the rest of the house. He couldn't hear any other workers or anything, and he never smelled food cooking. It was probably the second or third level of the place."

Hotch looked over the second and third levels, and guessed that it would take over an hour to search every room in the house thoroughly. They were going to need some help.

"Okay Garcia. We'll keep you updated," Hotch said. He had no idea what he was going to do once he got there. He nodded to his team to make their way to the car. He didn't have any more time to sit around trying to think of which rooms to search first.

"Please bring the boy genius back home," Garcia said slowly.

"We will Garcia. Tell Morgan that we'll see him soon." Hotch hung up the phone, and followed his team into the car. The SWAT team would meet them there and while Hotch preferred to work in smaller teams, he suspected that he would probably need more than a SWAT team when they raided Harold's manor.

_and so, what will happen next? will the team save reid in time? what will happen to markus? will timothy ever get to go on another walk? and will the stupid review button ever stop winking at you? you will find out these answers and see the flying polka dot pig when you click on the review button!_


	27. Chapter 27

_don't you wonder what will happen in this chapter? i know! hehehehe_

"Markus? What are you already doing up here?" Harold asked as he finished climbing the staircase. He would to have remember to add some artwork for the walls. It was gloomy on the dark walls. He always loved pictures depicting fairies flying across the sky. They would make a perfect addition to his secret passageway. "Were you just checking on the boy? How is he?"

Markus was pale, more than usual, and he had sweat dripping down his face. Was he nervous? There was nothing to be nervous about.

"Oh, the boy? He's awake, sir. I think his fever went up though. He won't make it past the night I'm afraid. I think he's having trouble breathing."

"Are you a doctor Markus? What makes you think he won't last a few more hours?"

Markus wiped off the sweat on his face with his sleeve, but didn't seem to calm his nerves.

"Just a few minutes ago, sir, he vomited again. I'm not a doctor, but it looked like blood."

Harold had less time than he originally thought. He was glad that he chose not to watch the film with Andy. He would have to do that in the morning. While Andy went swimming in the afternoon, Harold would be by himself to pick out another party guest for his pleasure.

"Did you taste the blood Markus? Didn't it taste like honey?"

"What? Sir?"

Harold started unbuttoning his shirt, and he handed his belt over to Markus. He'd rather not get his clothes soiled. He slipped off his shoes and socks, and put them by the door.

"Never mind. How has the woman been?"

"Sir? You cannot be thinking about raping the boy again. You'll kill him! If the FBI finds out that you've killed one them, they aren't going to let you go sir."

Harold folded his pants by the door, and took special care to make sure his shirt was still clean. It was white, and so any stains would stick out like a sore thumb. He couldn't have that. Then he would have to get it dry cleaned, and that just seemed to take forever.

"Are you afraid Markus?"

"I'm not afraid sir," Markus said moving toward the door. "I just can't let you hurt anymore. He's just a kid. His team is looking for him, and they will him sir. I'm sure of it." Markus stood in front of the door, and using his own body to block Harold from getting in.

Why was Markus suddenly being so difficult? Harold imagined that if he was considered "normal" by the public, he might have felt some kind of emotions when his most loyal servant was turning against him. Harold felt nothing. He was not anxious or afraid. Harold just wanted Markus to get out of the way. Nobody had to get hurt.

"Move aside Markus."

"No sir."

Harold walked up to Markus until he could smell the servant's breath. What had this man eaten last? Was it a sandwich? Harold did love sandwiches, but he really enjoyed anything that had meat in it. Harold was a meat eater.

"It would be just dreadful if something happened to Anne, Kyle, and Cistine. Wouldn't it? I would sure hate to receive a phone call to inform me that I would never see my family again."

"You won't hurt them sir." Markus was losing his confidence. He avoided eye contact, and his body wasn't as steady as it first was.

"Oh, but I would. You of all people should know who I am. It really is your decision. I can't make it for you. Is the life of an FBI agent more important than the lives of your sister, and her children? No one but you would miss them once they are gone. They really have done nothing to make this world a better place. Have they? The young doctor dying in there hasn't changed the world either. I will probably be the only one who misses him when he leaves."

Markus took a deep breath, and realized that Harold was right. When he compared the young man with his sister, his sister's life won out. The kid was going to die either way. His team might not show up for another week, and he would die whether or not Harold touched him. Markus couldn't say anything. He stepped aside, and kept his eyes down when Harold passed him into the dim lit room. Markus trailed behind him, but he kept himself in the darkness. He wouldn't be able to stand it again if the victims started begging him for their lives.

"Harold? Harold! Please stop this!" Susan started screaming as soon as she saw him.

Harold walked over to where Reid was, and ran his index finger down the thin line of blood going down the side of Reid's mouth.

"Oh my God. Where are your pants?" Susan asked. "Don't touch the agent or you're going to get in even more trouble. What's your problem? Can't find a boyfriend on your own so you have bang kids over the head and rape them in the dark? Is that it? Did I find out your little secret?"

Harold stood over Reid to gather himself, but Susan wouldn't stop.

"Are you afraid of talking to guys in a casual setting so you have to beat them up and put them on a table so they won't run away? I'm surprised you'd be so daring to abduct someone working for the FBI, but you are too pussy to even turn the lights up so he can look you in the eye as you rape him. Could you even get turned on normally or is just impossible for you? You're the kind of guy who needs to see the person under you bleeding and begging for mercy. That's just sick. No wonder normal guys don't like you. You're a freak whose own mother couldn't love you."

Harold grabbed one of the whips from the wall, and slapped Susan across the face with it. She screamed as her flesh tore on her cheek. He dropped the whip by the table, and grabbed on her hair to pull her face close to hers. He ran his tongue over the open wound, and licked the blood off her face. She didn't make a sound. She clenched her teeth together, and didn't back away from his deadly gaze.

"My dear, the difference between you and me, is that I know I am absolutely mad. I have known that most of my life. Whenever someone in my world died, I never shed a tear. My parents never noticed and my brother didn't say anything. As I got older, I grew curious about the emotions that I saw others felt around me. I've never had any feelings or emotions about anything. I do enjoy watching people scream, and I take pleasure in watching blood fall from their bodies. It has always been a hobby of mine, but my dear, I do not like to get insulted in my own house from a mother who cannot even protect her own son from someone like me."

"Leave her alone," Reid weakly said. He was weak, but he had managed to pull himself up a bit to watch the interaction between Harold and Susan. What was he doing? He knew that drawing attention to himself would only end up in pain. The kid was going to get himself killed.

Harold stepped away from her, but Susan wasn't afraid of his words. She spit at him, and her good aim got him right in his mouth. He wiped off the spit with one of his hands, and went back over to the table.

"Markus, please take off her clothes. I do believe that she will lose much of her spirit without those pesky clothes to hide behind. What do you think?"

Susan stopped staring at Harold when she heard him mention that Markus was in the room. Markus tried to stay as still as possible as she tried to find him.

"Markus? You're here? Please help us! Please!"

Harold climbed on top of the table where Reid was pathetically trying to scoot away. He had managed to roll back onto his back, and tried to push off Harold with his good arm. Harold crawled further onto the table when Reid kneed Harold between his legs. Harold yelped with the sudden pain, and retreated back onto the floor.

"Yeah, you bastard! How does that feel? Hurts, doesn't it?" Susan shouted.

Harold cradled himself in his hands as his eyes watered up. Markus imagined that Harold had never kicked there before and he smiled. Harold did deserve that. Harold's sudden rage seemed to come out of nowhere. He stood tall with his back straight, and pushed Reid off the wooden table. Reid screamed when he fell on his broken arm, and some of the blistered wounds were tearing back open from the harsh fall. Reid tried to crawl away as Harold folded his underpants underneath the table. That was when he saw the dark corner where Markus was hiding. Markus felt the boy's eyes beg for his help once again. Reid has no one else there to help him. Susan was still bleeding, the FBI team still wasn't there, and Reid's own fragile body was starting to fail was still bleeding from his mouth, and his back was a mess. The first thing he would need when he got the hospital was stitches. An image flashed through Markus' mind of the agent right before he was abducted when he was sleeping in the car. That was before he met Harold. That was before he found out that somebody wanted to kill him just for fun.

Harold got on his knees, and pulled Reid back by his hair. Reid cried out, and reached out for anything to stop him from being with Harold again, but nothing was there for him to hold onto. Harold kicked Reid in the ribcage, and flipped him over onto his back. Markus was truly amazed that Reid struggled as much as he did. He was trying to push Harold with his good arm, and his legs flailed up in the arm. It even looked like he was crying from back where Markus stood, but Markus knew that there weren't any tears. Harold forced the kid onto his knees, and without any further delay, Harold pushed himself inside of Reid. Reid's mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. His breathing sped up, and he was having a hard time trying to keep his eyes open. Harold started his violent thrusts into the thin body underneath him, and Harold already had his dirty hands around Reid's sex. Markus had to stop this now.

* * *

Anne pulled up in front of Harold's manner, but she wasn't sure where to park her car. She saw several garages, but all of them were closed. She wasn't going to make Harold angry by parking in front of the one of the garages so she pulled her car to the front entrance. She would just ask somebody where to put her car when she got inside. She would have to put her children on a couch or something so they could sleep. Both of them were still in dream land, but she wasn't going to be rude and ask for a room. She didn't live here, and Harold didn't know her.

She took the baby out of the car seat, and after her daughter was safe in her arms, she shook her little boy awake. She couldn't carry both of them.

"Mom? Are we there?" Kyle asked. He rubbed his sleepy eyes open, and yawned as he looked around.

"Yep. We're here. This is where Uncle Markus works. Isn't this cool looking?" She looked up at the mansion, and it did look like something out of a fairy tale. She could almost see Rapunzel dropping down her long golden hair off one of the balconies.

"Will Uncle Markus let us live here? I could get my own room!"

"No sweetie. This house doesn't belong to us. Besides, Mommy would hate to drive an hour just to get to work every day."

"That's not fair. I'm sure he gets his own room. I don't like sleeping with a baby. She makes funny sounds at night!"

"Honey, things will get better soon." She held his hand, and they walked up the stairs to get to the front door. That walk alone would qualify for her work out for the day. "Now when Mommy rings the doorbell, don't say anything. Okay? I'll do all the talking. Besides, you should be quiet so the dragons don't hear your voice. If they know you're here, they might fly away."

"Okay Mommy," Kyle whispered loudly. The whisper was actually louder than his talking voice.

She rung the doorbell, and waited. She was so afraid that she would be turned away, or that Markus was lying about where he worked. It did seem odd that he would get a job working as a butler for one of the wealthiest men in the state. When he didn't answer the door, she felt her hopes fall. She didn't want to have to drive all the way back to her home.

"Hi, um, you don't know me, but my brother, he, um, he works here. His name is Markus, and I just wanted to stop by to see how he is doing." She squeezed Kyle's hand for good luck. "These are my children. Kyle is the little man here, and Cistine is the baby. They have been waiting for a long time to see their uncle."

"Oh yes, Markus," the man exclaimed. He opened the door wide to let them in. "Would you like some rooms for the children? There's a conjoining bedroom just down the hallway here, and we could set one of the beds up like a cradle so you don't have to worry about her falling out."

"Oh, I don't want to be a bother. We could sleep on a couch somewhere."

"It would be no trouble at all ma'am. Most of these rooms are empty most of the time. It would be an honor to have them be in use again. Harold just loves children. He'll be delighted in the morning to see them. What do you like for breakfast Kyle?"

Kyle's eyes lit up, and he let go of his mother's hand.

"Do you have strawberry pancakes here? Mom made them once a long time ago, but we can't make them anymore cuz they cost so much money but I really like those!"

"Yes we do, young master, and we could even draw faces on the pancakes with the syrup."

"You can? Really? No lies?"

"I don't lie sir. Those pancakes will be ready for you first thing in the morning," he said smiling kindly at the child. Another servant came out of a doorway, and shook her hand with Anne. "This is Abigail. She has been working here for years, but she will escort the children to their rooms and make sure they are well taken care for the night."

Anne gently handed Cistine over to the older woman. The older woman smiled, and took Kyle's hand. Anne watched them walk down the long hallway.

"Don't worry ma'am. They will be alright."

"Where is Markus? You can't tell me he is in bed already."

"I do believe that he is with Harold. I can give you a room upstairs that is closer to him if you would like."

"Would it just be alright if I wandered around for a bit? This house is magnificent. I almost wish that I had brought my camera. I didn't know that it would be so beautiful!"

"Take your time ma'am. There are buzzers located in every room in the house so when you are, just press on it. One of us will be there to assist you in less a minute."

"Even if I am upstairs?"

"A minute ma'am," he said. "Will you be requiring any refreshments before you start your walk?"

"I'll be fine."

"If you change your mind, the buzzers are in every room. Harold keeps our kitchen stocked with all kinds of foods and drinks. He likes a variety. Have a nice walk ma'am." He bowed down to her, and went into another room.

Anne was surprised that they would leave her alone like that, but she really was curious about the house. Her brother never told her how large it really was. She had no idea where to begin. There were two long hallways on either side of her, two staircases in front of her, and there were rooms all around her. She didn't want to stay downstairs. If Kyle saw her wandering around, that would keep him awake. He needed his sleep. The next question came to which stairway should she take. After a quick game of eeny meeny minie mo, she chose the staircase to her left.

* * *

Rossi sat in the back seat next to Prentiss. He tried to act calm and cool about the trip, but he was scared of what he would find at Harold's house. Rossi blamed himself for letting it get this far. He had talked to this unsub, ate at the guy's house, and yet, Reid still wasn't safe. If Reid was killed because of Rossi's bad choices, he would never forgive himself.

"I don't think the house will be rigged, "Rossi told Hotch. "Harold is too confident. He doesn't think that he will ever be caught. I bet that the first thing we will find is a bunch of frightened house workers."

"It will be the job of the officers to keep everyone in the house. I don't want anybody to leave until they have all been talked to. I want to find out if anyone else knew that Reid was there, and ask them why they didn't try to help him."

"Don't be too hard on the servants," Rossi said. "You don't know what they've seen and what they haven't. They could just be innocent people trying to earn a living."

"Or they could be accomplices in holding one of my agents hostage. They will be held responsible if anything permanent has happened to him."

The rest of the ride there was silent. What else could be said? Hotch pulled in front of the house, and parked the SUV beside another car that was near the front door. Rossi noted that this car was outside while there weren't any other vehicles around. The rest were in the garages.

"We're going to find Reid. We just have to be careful. Remember, don't split up," Hotch reminded them. Rossi took a deep breath, and followed the other agents up the staircase to the front door.

* * *

Markus stepped out of the shadows while Harold was occupied, and he went over to Harold's walls of toys. He chose the bat that had knocked out the older fellow, and he snuck back over to where Harold was torturing the boy on the floor. Markus could see the blood on the floor underneath Reid's rear, and Reid's frightened grasps were the only sound in the room. Markus crossed himself, and he raised the bat above Harold's head. He closed his eyes, and swung the back across Harold's back. Harold fell out of the boy, and Markus kicked him to the side. While Harold tried to regain composure, Markus picked up the bleeding agent, and took him to the back of the room. Markus wasn't going to let him die if he could stop it.

Once he made sure Agent Reid was still breathing, he turned around to face Harold. He went back to the spot where he had left Harold, but Harold wasn't there. Markus raised the bat, and cursed himself for giving the gun back to the dead servant. Susan was in tears, and her wrists were badly bleeding. He scanned the room to look for Harold, but he couldn't see him anywhere. Harold hadn't left the room or he would have heard the door open. Harold's underpants were still neatly folded, and Reid was still alone where Markus left him. Markus wanted to just get the woman's chains off and carry Reid downstairs where he would truly be safe, but Markus couldn't move the agent without potentially killing him. Markus couldn't leave the room to get help either when Harold was still there.

* * *

Harold waited in the shadows. His groin still felt like it was on fire, and now his back was hurting him because Markus decided it was a good idea to hit him. Why would Markus do something like that? It would take a while for Harold to get back in the mood to say his goodbye to the young agent, and Harold was sure that the agent wouldn't last that long. How could Markus do that to him? Harold wouldn't be able to forgive Markus for what he did.

Harold turned on the classical music so he wouldn't have to hear the annoying sobs coming from the woman or the desperate gasps of air coming from the dying doctor. The music would surely calm them down as much as it calmed Harold down. Harold used to go to sleep at night listening to the violins from his favorite songs of the past. Harold could see everyone from where he crouched down. Markus had stolen Reid away from him, but Reid was still his guest. Reid was lying in a fetal position in the very back of the room. Harold wouldn't be able to see him at all if it wasn't for the doctor's pale skin. His lady guest was shaking, and most of her cheek had been drown in her blood. Markus stood near the table. He was scared.

Harold stood quietly stood up, and turned all the lights out. As much as he hated the darkness, it would be easier to move around without disturbing anyone. He still knew where they were, but they didn't know where he was. It was perfect. All Harold needed to do was reach his wall without getting discovered by his unfaithful servant. If Harold made it to that wall, the future was in his hands. He just wished that Markus didn't do this. Harold didn't want to be grumpy in the morning. It would ruin the rest of the day that he had planned with Andy. Harold was even thinking about swimming with Andy after dinner tomorrow night in the indoor swimming pool. It was much too hot to go swimming outside. It was always perfect inside. Harold wouldn't want to go swimming if Markus continued to ruin his night.

_ooooooo a cliffhanger! dont you hate cliffhangers? the old fat lady will stop singing if you PLEASE click on that review button. my ears are bleeding! make it stop!_


	28. Chapter 28

_um some warnings: um, graphic...graphic...character death...grahic...i shall give you a hint of who dies: its not timothy. long live timothy!_

All of the lights had gone out in the room that Reid was recently beginning to refer to as his tomb. Why did they have to turn out the lights? When had started coughing earlier that night, he assumed that is was one of the many signs of his dehydration. Along with his nausea and fever, this seemed quite natural until he saw the blood he spat up. How long had he been missing? He was sure that it was longer than the time he spent with Tobias, and he barely came out of that one okay. He couldn't even remember the last time that he saw Morgan. It was a nightmare to wake up and find that the only person in the world that could talk to him was gone. He wasn't even sure if he could trust the words that Markus told him. Up to that point, Harold had not left any victims alive.

Why had the lights gone out? What was happening? Reid weakly opened his eyes to try to get some sense of what was happening, but he couldn't see anything at all. Reid had an urge to try to find Susan just so he wouldn't be alone, but that wouldn't bring any comfort to her. Reid could barely remember what had just happened. Harold was trying to rape him again…Reid's body trembled at the thought. He had been raped. He had been stripped, beaten, and raped and all of this happened in front of one of his teammates. All of it happened in front of Morgan. His entrance was burning a fire that sent pain through the rest of his already cut up body. He crawled to the back wall, and tried to ignore the questionable instruments around him. His arms were badly aching from being held above his head for so long so trying to move them at all was a horrific experience. Even if he was handed a loaded gun right then, he didn't think he'd be able to cause any damage. He couldn't even stand up.

"Please, let us go," Susan cried out in the darkness.

Reid was doing everything he could to keep himself awake. He couldn't afford to fall unconscious again. He had to be awake for when his team came for him. He'd have to tell them about the missing boy…Reid's thoughts stopped when he got a sharp pain throughout his stomach. Thousands of statics started running through his tired brain, but he couldn't piece any of them together. His pulse was still racing, and his fever hadn't gone down. His genius mind was begging for the welcomed darkness that came when Reid gave into the temptation to pass out and leave this mess behind him, but he couldn't do that as long as he could help it. He had to find out what was going on. Markus was trying to help him, but that seemed odd seeing as Markus wanted nothing to do with Reid not too long ago. Something had made him change his mind so while Harold was trying to torture Reid for one last time, Markus stepped in. There was some kind of struggle Reid remembered, but who had turned the lights off? Try as he might, Reid couldn't see anything at all.

"The FBI is coming you know, and when they do, they're goin arrest both of you if you don't let us go. Please! I need to find my son…"

Reid listened close for any response from either of their captors, but he didn't hear anything. Silence was more deadly than any kind of noise could ever be. Only in silence was Reid truly left alone. He couldn't see or hear anything aside from a woman screaming out for her child. Reid was terrified.

* * *

"Please, let us go!" Susan wailed. Markus regretted trying not to get her out of those chains before the lights went out. The task would be next to impossible in the dark. If somehow he was able to get her out of the chains, she would be able to help him get the kid out of there. He listened for any movements, but he didn't hear anything besides Susan's desperate cries. Was the kid already dead? Where did Harold go? Harold still had to be in that room, but why was he so quiet? Markus was getting scared, and he almost regretted trying to protect the boy.

"Reid, are you still awake?" he called out. He couldn't see much of anything in the blackness of the room. He had to rely on his other senses.

"I'm here," a voice whispered.

"Stay awake kid," Markus said. He heard some scuffling noises somewhere behind him so he knew the agent was doing what he could to keep awake. He wondered how badly the kid's arm was broken. Maybe they were safe for now. Harold couldn't possibly still be in the mood to rape anyone else, and Markus would only be gone for a few minutes.

"Harold? Sir?" Markus called out. "I've called the police already. They will be here momentarily," he lied. He probably should have called the police hours ago.

"The police are coming? Oh, thank God!" Susan said.

"Sir? Turn on the lights now." Markus waited for a moment, but Harold didn't say a word.

"Maybe he's gone," Susan suggested.

"No, he's here." Markus couldn't hear or smell anything different, but he knew Harold was still there and that he wasn't happy.

"Isn't there like a secret entrance or exit in this room somewhere?"

"There are in certain places in this house, but not in this room particular. This room has a dark history…a lot of people were killed in this room even before Harold found it," Markus said. His heart was pounding faster because of the silence he was getting from Harold. In all of the years that he had been a loyal servant to Harold, he never once gave Harold any reason to be angry with him. Markus kept the little secret of the upstairs wing, he was always there whenever Harold requested his service, and he always did his work without complaint.

"Sir, please turn on the light," Markus said. "Sir, please." Markus never wanted to make anyone mad at him. He didn't want to lose his job, and he didn't want to have to explain to his sister why he couldn't send her more money in the mail. He just wanted everything to work out, but it didn't look like it was going to happen that way. Markus knew that the old servant that he hid in the next room had a gun in one of his pockets. Markus put gave the gun back to the old man. He wouldn't steal from a dead person, but if Markus was able to sneak next door and get the gun, he could be the hero again. He would turn on the lights, help the woman, stop Harold, and save the young agent's life. The police would reward him as a hero, and he would be able to buy a little house somewhere where he could help his sister and her children until they got back on their feet. He would never have to see Harold again.

Markus took a step forward, and stopped to make sure that he didn't hear anyone else moving behind him. He heard the deep breathing of the kid, the sobs of the woman, but he didn't hear a peep from Harold. He took another step forward, but he cursed under his breath. He couldn't see a single thing, and he remembered the other agents pleading with him not to leave their youngest alone in the dark. The dark really was the scariest of all the weapons that Harold had on his side.

He tried not to think of the dried blood on the floors or the fact that an armed psychopath was hiding somewhere in the room with him. Once he got to the door, he'd be back before Harold would be able to kill Reid or Susan. It would all work out after all. He stretched his hands out so he could feel for the door, and after taking a few more steps, his fingers finally rested on the door handle.

"I'm going to be right back," Markus quietly told them. He didn't want either one of them losing hope once he left. He'd only be gone for a minute.

"Please, don't leave us! Please!" Susan screamed. "He's going to kill the kid and me. Please don't leave us!"

He started to open the door when he felt a breath on the back on his neck. Markus froze in place. He had never been more scared in his life. He kept his hand on the door, and was ready to scream out for help if anything happened, but nothing could happen. Harold wasn't going to hurt him. He was the most loyal servant that Harold ever had.

* * *

It didn't take long for Harold's eyes to adjust to the darkness. He was used to it. When he was younger, he would sneak into his parent's bedroom at night so he could watch them do things to each other that no young child should see. Harold would hide in that darkness while his father touched his mother, and Harold would watch her arch her back and scream with pleasure, much like the young agent did when Harold played with him. Harold would watch them until his father was dripping with sweat and his mother could no longer catch her breath. He wouldn't leave right away though. He liked to watch them sleep. He watched the rising and falling of their chests, and he liked how their eyes would constantly move underneath their eye lids when they were dreaming. Watching them was better than anything on the television.

Since Harold's shoes were already off, it was very easy for him to glide across the floor without being noticed by his frightened servant or his two guests. He actually stood behind Markus for some time while Markus begged Harold for a word, but Harold kept his mouth shut. Why would he want to talk and ruin the fun? Harold could even see the small movements from the agent bleeding on the floor. Harold wanted to get on the floor, and break open his little friend one last time, but he had to restrain himself. He couldn't have any playtime until work was over.

He went along his back wall, and ran his fingers over all of the familiar instruments. He had picked out every single of them himself, and he didn't think he could choose a favorite. All of them had their own strengths, and Harold loved all of them. He recognized the whips that he had used on Morgan, the paw that he used on young Reid, and even the pear that he had used time and time again with some of his less privileged guests. Harold was never too fond of the pear. He thought it was much too messy. Sticking that contraption into somebody's entrance could be considered quite enjoyable, but by the time he was finished with it, the entrance was too torn up and bloody for him to get inside of his guest. That was no fun.

"Sir, turn out the lights now," Markus told him. Markus was such a funny fellow. Why in the world would Harold do that? That just wouldn't make sense. They were having so much more fun this way.

"Maybe he's gone," the nameless woman said. What kind of person could go through their life without telling anyone their name? Not only was that rude, but it wasn't practical. She probably didn't have many friends.

"No, he's here," Markus said. Harold smiled, and ran his tongue over his top lip. This was turning out to be quite the adventure.

Harold's hand stopped when he felt one of his favorite daggers. It was quite old, and his seller estimated that it had been used for centuries. Harold smiled to himself when he remembered the seller asking Harold what the knife would be used for. Harold didn't lie. He really was using it for his parties, just probably not the kind of parties that the seller had in mind. Harold carefully the dagger off its place on the wall, and turned around to find Markus. The boy was still on the floor only a few feet away from Harold. The woman who had rudely refused to tell Harold her name was still on the wall, and Markus was cleverly trying to leave the room. Leaving before the party was over was simply unacceptable.

Harold walked over to where his pathetic servant was trying to run away, and Harold stopped right behind him. He gave Markus but a moment to realize that Harold was there. What was the best way to punish an unruly servant? Harold put his hand on Markus' shoulder, and in one swift movement, he guided his dagger across his servant's throat. The knife tore off the skin with such ease, and Harold wondered why he didn't have more of these lovely little toys. Harold stepped back to keep anymore more blood from getting on his skin. He just took a bath a few hours ago. It would be a shame to waste more water in taking another bath. He knew that his clothes were safely outside the room, but he could put his underpants back on. Markus was holding his bleeding throat with both of his hands, and he stumbled across the room gasping for breath. It really was a horrible noise he was making. Harold pulled his underpants across his waist, and turned the music up a bit louder. He didn't want to have to hear that horrible noise that Markus was making. Harold turned the lights back to their dim setting, and watched his servant try to keep the blood inside of his body. The nameless woman screamed. She was truly becoming annoying. If she kept this up, she would be more annoying than that darker agent had been, and Harold truly despised him.

Markus fell on his knees, and was watching Harold with fear in his eyes. Harold walked over to him to give Markus a better look, and he pushed Markus onto his back.

"See Markus? This is what happens when you don't follow the orders of the house."

Harold got down on his knees to watch the final moments of one of his favorite servants. His female guest was watching with her jaw dropped, but the pale agent wasn't. The kid had his eyes on the ground, and he was breathing through his mouth. Harold would deal with him later.

* * *

Harold couldn't get his eyes off the blood pouring out of Markus' throat. He forced Markus to remove his hands from the wound, and Harold stuck his hand down the bloody hole. He felt around and felt warm blood soaking in his fingers, and he twisted his hand around past all of the veins and tissues. He found the tongue, and he wrapped his fingers around the weakened muscle. Using most of his strength, he was able to rip the tongue from the mouth, and he dragged it out back through the hole in the throat. He set the bloody muscle down beside him, and after he cleaned it up a bit, he would be able to give it to Timothy.

He looked back down at Markus, and was a bit disappointed to see that Markus was dead. He licked the blood off his fingers so he would be able to play with the boy one last time, but the blood tasted different. He bent down, and stuck his tongue down the jagged hole in Markus' neck. He ran his tongue across the dead tendons, and he took a bite out of one of the muscles. He sat back so he would be able to taste the meat, and to his surprise, it was divine. He stuck his hand back into the throat, and dug around searching around for hard muscle. Harold knew he shouldn't be eating so close to bed time, but he did have quite a work out. He deserved a little treat, and after all, it was alright to pig out every now and then. It wasn't his fault that this meat was sweet like honey, and tangy like spices that were put on his chicken. He couldn't get enough. He even thought about cutting some up to save for later.

Anne was already bored after peaking into several of the rooms. Other than the rooms were clean of dust, they didn't look like they had ever been in lived in. Everything was in its place, and she was actually felt badly for looking around. She didn't want to make a mess when the people who worked in this house worked hard to keep it clean. She knew how hard it was. She worked as a house cleaner for a month or so, but she hated it. People were gross slobs, and she couldn't stand picking up after them anymore.

She had to clean up her life. She knew that. She regretted the mistakes she made with men in her past, and she vowed that she wasn't going to be seeing anymore men until she had an actual career. She wanted to be able to take care of herself. She loved Markus more than anything, but she needed to grow up. She was going to stop accepting money from Markus as soon as she knew that she had a good job, and that she would be able to take care of her family on her own.

She wandered through the long hallways when she saw a strange door. The walls were a light blue, but the door was brown. It didn't match. That was strange. She lightly pushed the door open, and saw a staircase. She was about to turn away. The staircase had not been taken care of like the rest of the house was. There were cobwebs, and some of the stairs were cracked. She wasn't stupid enough to go up a dark and scary staircase, but she heard a strange noise. It sounded like a woman screaming, and she couldn't just leave when she heard that. The woman could be in danger. The young missing agent could be up there too. Anne had to try to help.

* * *

Prentiss stayed close by J.J. as they surrounded the front door of the mansion. The S.W.A.T team were waiting for orders behind them, and for the first time in a long time, Prentiss actually felt scared of what she would find in that house. She had been to many raids, met some of the sickest people on the planet, but she had never felt her heart pound like this before. She hadn't been on many cases where the probability of finding a dead agent were very likely, and it broke her heart to know that it would be more than just a dead agent. It would be Reid, the baby of their team, and she would have given anything to been in his place. She wasn't afraid of pain, and while he could quote any book that he had ever read, she could stand up for herself better than he could. She was older than him, and she was physically fit. She would be able to take anything some sicko could throw at her. The only reason she could assure herself with was that even had she been in the car that night with Morgan, the unsub probably wouldn't had gone after them. He wanted Reid all along.

"FBI!" Hotch shouted. Prentiss aimed her gun at the door. "Open up!"

A very nervous looking blonde opened the door only seconds later. When she saw the FBI and the police out front, she almost collapsed from fright. Prentiss ran up to her, and helped her from falling to the cement.

"Are you okay?" Prentiss asked after the blonde had recovered herself.

"What's happening?"

"What's your name?"

"I'm Danielle. Is something wrong? Is that bad guy who's on the news around here or something?" She looked around outside as if expecting to see someone crawling around the bushes or one of the rose gardens, but it was a quiet night.

"Where's Harold?" Rossi asked.

"Harold? I haven't seen him in a while. He went upstairs. Why?"

Hotch stepped inside with Rossi at his heels. Danielle and Prentiss stood aside to let them pass.

"Danielle, I'm going to need you to gather everyone who works in this house together. Tell them all to meet in the kitchen," Prentiss said.

"Have this house surrounded!" Hotch shouted into his phone. "No one comes in this house and no one leaves this house."

Danielle lost all the color that was once in her face when she saw the seriousness of the situation.

"Okay. I can do that," Danielle said nodding her head.

Prentiss waved over one of the officers.

"This officer is going to come with you, and make sure that you and all the other workers are going to be kept safe. Alright?"

Danielle nodded, and the officer smiled kindly at her. Prentiss walked over to J.J. who was waiting for her. Without Markus or Harold, they had no idea where to start the search.

"What about the children in the house?"

Prentiss looked over at J.J. to see if she knew anything, but J.J. shook her head.

"Children?"

Prentiss walked back over to the frightened girl.

"Yeah…Some lady came a while ago to visit her brother. She brought two kids with her, and then another little boy is sleeping in one of the upstairs rooms. I don't think they're related."

Prentiss was having a hard time understanding why Harold was keeping children in the house. He didn't have any of his own, he did not have a girlfriend, and he had never gone into adoption. There was another victim.

"The two kids of the woman, they're right down this hall," she said gesturing down a hallway. "The other little kid had dinner with Harold tonight. I don't know where the woman is. She wanted to look around. She's upstairs somewhere, but I have no way of finding her unless she calls one of us."

"Okay, gather everyone up in the kitchen area including all of the children," Hotch ordered appearing out of nowhere. Rossi stepped in behind him, and all of them watched the nervous woman press a few buttons on the wall. She didn't look back at them as she made her way into the kitchen with a member of the SWAT team a few steps behind.

"One of them has to know where Harold goes," Rossi said. "It's a very large house, I got dizzy just looking at these staircases, but I'm sure one of them has been watching Harold."

"Do you think Markus will be there?" J.J. asked.

"Doubt it. He would have answered the door," Prentiss said. If Markus was there, it would have been a lot easier to find Reid along with any new victim that Harold might have abducted. The thought that worried Prentiss the most was the fact that Harold had kidnapped somebody else. He would have had no reason to go through all the trouble of taking someone else if Reid was still alive and well.

Just as Danielle promised, the entire staff of the house was in the kitchen in less than five minutes. Prentiss also noted that two children were sitting in small chairs in the corner of the overly sized kitchen. A little baby was being cradled by a woman sitting near the children. By the way she acted around them; Prentiss knew this wasn't the mother. Both of the kids sitting in the chairs were little boys, but they didn't look related. Prentiss scanned through the rest of the workers, but she didn't see anything unusual. Most of them looked tired. They had been working all day, and they wanted to go to sleep. Markus wasn't there.

"I'm going to need everyone to listen," Hotch began. "My name is SSA Aaron Hotchner, and I am here with my team. We need to find out where exactly Harold goes to every night before he goes to bed. This house is much too large for us to do a thorough search."

"What exactly are you looking for?" a younger man in the back asked.

"We believe that one of our agents is being kept against his will somewhere in this house," Rossi said. Prentiss knew that he wouldn't be so blunt with them if they weren't running out of time. The frightened servants stood close to one another, but none of them spoke up.

"Please," Prentiss finally said stepping forward. No one was going to say anything if she couldn't come up with a good reason for them to. "The agent missing is our best friend, and he was dragged out of his car while he was doing his part to help find a sadistic murderer who will continue killing until he is stopped. We know that Harold is in an upstairs room, and that Markus is probably with him."

"Markus has been acting strange lately," Danielle said. "We barely see him anymore."

"I know where Harold is!" a tiny voice spoke up. Everyone turned and saw that one of the little boys had stood up, and was making his way up to Prentiss. She kneeled down so she could be his height, and she looked into his green eyes. He looked a little bit tired, but he wasn't nervous. "I'm not supposed to know though. Harold didn't want me to, but I peaked. He said that he was going to talk to my mommy and this special agent guy about magic stuff. I wanted to ask him if they could find me a gremlin. Mommy didn't like me watching that movie, but I've seen lots of it already and I would take real good care of the gremlin when I got one! Mommy couldn't get me one, but I was thinking the agent guy could. Inspector Gadget could get anything he wanted."

"Where did Harold go?" Prentiss asked. She looked up at the others who were also listening very closely. They were ready to bolt out that door the second the kid gave a good enough answer.

"There was a secret door! Well, kinda secret."

"Where's the door?"

"Um, it's a brown door and it was kinda close to my room. I was hiding when he went inside, and I was goin follow so I opened it when I was sure he was gone, but it looked super scary so I didn't go."

"What was scary about it?"

"There were all these stairs. Like millions and millions of stairs and I could hear his feet still on the top somewhere. I went back to my room. I can just ask for the gremlin tomorrow."

"Thank you so much," Prentiss said hugging the boy. A child knew more about the secret rooms in this house more than anyone working here had.

"What are you going to do? I don't want to share my room with mom. She'll hog the bed!"

"We'll get her a bed of her own," J.J. said. Prentiss stood up, and tried to hide the tears in her eyes from J.J. She was terrified of what they would find in that upstairs room. Without another word, they filed out of the kitchen with their guns drawn in front of them. They ran up the stairs to the second level, and kept their eyes open for a strange looking brown door that should stick out like a sore thumb according to the little boy. They wandered down at least three hallways before they found a door that seemed out of place. Hotch kicked the door open, and he turned his flashlight on. Just as the boy described, there was an old staircase leading up to the third floor of the house. This was it.

_DUN DUN DUN...DUN DUN DUN...BUNNY...SUNNY...SUNNY BUNNY...nah, i just wanted to be funny. im lame i know. so um ur here, the review button is here, u guys r both here...u shud probably like click on it or something. its been winking at you_


	29. Chapter 29

_so um guys, this story started out as a very slim idea in my head. i HAVE no idea how in the world im on my 29th chapter already. i blame harold_

Anne was trying to reason with herself. It just wasn't likely that a federal agent was being held captive in the house where her brother worked. It just didn't seem possible. Markus would have known, and he would have gone to the police immediately if he suspected that Harold was doing anything illegal. Maybe some of the staff slept up in these rooms, and the sounds she was hearing was nothing more than people goofing around. As she got closer to the top, she knew that the strange noises were not just people playing around. She crossed herself when she got to the top step, and looked around at her surroundings.

She was standing in front of a shorter hallway, much shorter than the ones she was used to in the lower levels of the mansion. There were three doors to choose from, but only one of them was partway open. There was definitely a woman screaming. She knew that a young agent had been captured, but she didn't know a woman was missing as well. Anne wasn't going to be one of those stupid girls she watched in horror movies though. She wasn't going to run in to save the innocent victims and end up getting killed herself. She didn't have a gun, she didn't really know how to fight, and she had her two babies to live for. She couldn't leave them. She pulled out her cell phone, and waited back in the stairway.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Hi, um, I'm calling from the Caldwell place. There's a woman screaming in the third level of the house…"

"The police are already heading over there ma'am. They should be there shortly."

"Oh, really?" Markus must have called them. Markus heard the woman screaming, and that's why he wasn't downstairs to greet her. He was trying to save the woman.

"Thank you," she said. She hung up the phone, and was going to wait for the police, but she couldn't just leave that poor woman alone in there. She was probably terrified. Anne didn't hear any other voices. No one else was talking, and the only movements from that room were coming from that poor woman. The least Anne could do was try to calm the woman down.

Anne held her breath, and slowly pushed the door further open. At first, she couldn't see anything in the room. The lights were turned down low, but as she entered the room, she heard music. It wasn't the kind of music that she would usually hear on the radio. It was classical music, and it was hard to tune out the hypnotizing tunes of the violin that she heard. The room had a horrible stench to it, and she didn't want to try to identify what it was. She was happier not knowing. The woman was still sobbing, but there was another noise in the room as well. It almost sounded like dogs eating.

She stepped further into the room, but she kept her hand on the door. She was ready to bolt out of there at any minute if she saw anything dangerous. The first thing she saw was the woman. Her hands were being held high above her head, and there were streaks of red blood running down both of her wrists. Her face was still wet with tears. She didn't see the young agent anywhere, but it looked like a large room. Near the center of the room, she saw another man sitting on the ground. He didn't look hurt, but he was hovering over another person who appeared to be dead. The person's neck was dripping with blood, and as she looked closer, she saw the man's face was covered with blood. She watched in silence as the man took the knife he was holding, and he started to slice of chunks of flesh from the person lying on the floor. He put the pieces of skin and muscle into his mouth, and he was eating it like it was some kind of feast.

Anne couldn't keep quiet anymore. She had read about people messed up in the head in books and magazines, but that was totally different that seeing it in real life. The man didn't seem disturbed at all that he was devouring another human being. In fact, he seemed to be trying to keep the old room clean. He cleaned off the pieces of skin with some kind of rag before he cut them into little pieces to stick in his mouth. Anne's hand was trembling on the door that she held onto, and she took a step back without even thinking about it. She recognized the hair of the dead man on the floor, and she tried to look at the face, her jaw started to quiver. She didn't need to look twice to know that body belonged her brother. Markus was the dead body on the floor. She screamed as the stranger put another bite of the corpse into his mouth.

* * *

J.J. was running as fast as she could to keep up with the others as they ran up that long flight of stairs. Rossi expressed for a moment that he was afraid the stairs wouldn't be able to hold all of their weight if they ran, but the stairs held out. They paused when they heard a woman's terrified scream only a few feet above them, and they ran faster than ever. J.J. tried to keep her gun steady in her hands, but she was so scared that she would Reid dead in that room. She didn't know what she would do if Reid had died. She didn't know if she even handle going to the funeral for their youngest member, and his mother would be devastated. They all would.

Hotch brought them to a stop at the top of the stairs, and J.J. saw a woman standing in one of the three rooms in the wing. The woman turned to run when she saw the agents. She ran towards the agents with tears in her eyes.

"He's…he's eating him! Oh my God, he's eating him," she cried out.

Hotch put a finger over his mouth to keep the frightened woman quiet. He motioned for the others to follow him as he made his way over to the room she ran out of. J.J. told the poor girl to wait downstairs for them. The woman didn't go all the way down the staircase, but J.J. had more on her mind. They were in the right house for sure, but who was Harold eating? Hotch waited by the door for the team to gather around him, and then he kicked the door wide open.

They all ran into the room with their guns drawn, but J.J. was almost blind for a minute. It was dark in there, and she was sure she heard classical music playing. Near the middle of the room, a man sat. He was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, but on the floor next to him was a rag with chunks of meat on it. Markus was laying in front him, and from looking at his throat, J.J. knew he was dead. There was blood on Harold's face, but for the most part, Harold was clean. His hands had no smudges on them, and his clothing didn't have a single stain on it. He didn't even seem nervous or afraid that four people were aiming guns directly at his head. He continued to eat from the meat on the rag. J.J. felt her stomach turning, and she couldn't stop herself from turning around and dry heaving onto the wooden floor. She felt Prentiss pat her on the back, but that didn't help her stomach. She had never seen somebody actually eating someone before, and even thinking about it, made her want to throw up again.

"Harold Caldwell, put your hands in the air and slowly stand up!" Hotch shouted. J.J. turned around, but she wasn't going to look back at Harold. She looked around the room, and she saw a woman chained to one of the walls. A table was only a few feet from her with some kind of rack underneath it, but she didn't see Reid.

"That man on the floor is Markus," Prentiss whispered to Hotch.

"Harold, it's all over now. Stand up with your hands in the air!" Hotch ordered.

Harold didn't acknowledge any of them. He slowly put another bite of the dead man in his mouth, and he closed his eyes as he savored the taste of the raw meat. J.J. heard Prentiss cough after he swallowed it.

"Oh dear," Harold finally said. "If I was aware that I had company coming, I would have prepared something more…expensive. I usually don't like to try new flavors, but this is simply exquisite. Would you like to try some?"

"Just put down the knife Mr. Caldwell," Rossi said.

"Do give my apologies to Agent Morgan if you would. I usually do not like to send my guests away with some kind of parting gift, but he was just so hard to deal with. Is he still alive? I still remember his agonized screams as I demonstrated the use of a medieval whip."

* * *

Hotch stared down the man who abducted two of the members of the team. He wasn't afraid of the creature before him. That's what this Hotch considered this man, nothing more than a creature. Hotch had made the assumption long ago that the man that Harold was eating was dead, and that Harold could not physically murder him any longer. Now, it was just a matter of arresting this man before he could hurt himself. Hotch wanted him alive.

He motioned towards the girls that it was alright to further search the room. Hotch had already spotted one victim, and he was sure that his youngest agent was somewhere close by. He kept his gun aimed directly at Harold's forehead, but Harold didn't even glance at the girls as they hurried to help the woman chained to the wall. Harold kept his eyes on Hotch.

"Tell me, Agent Hotchner is it? You are the leader of this little team, correct? The young one said so many names in his dreams. I simply tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together. It did give me something to do at night," Harold said looking towards a camera in the front of the room. "He was such a pleasure to meet. His skin felt like cream, but he was just so tight. If I was allowed more time with him, I am sure I could have loosened him up a bit more."

"On your feet now Harold!" Hotch shouted.

"But I am not done here. It would be just rude to leave this kind of mess. Don't you agree? There is blood everywhere. It was a delightful flavor to try, but the doctor's blood was so much sweeter. I could have licked him all day."

Hotch wasn't going to take anymore. With Rossi at his back, Hotch circled around Harold and pulled the man to his feet. Harold didn't struggle or even try to fight back. As Hotch was handcuffing the sick man, Harold was actually leaning over to smell Hotch's skin. Hotch moved back, but not before Harold ran his tongue across Hotch's neck. Hotch shoved him into the arms of a police officer, and wiped the salvia off his skin in disgust.

"Your skin is rather rough Agent Hotchner. Maybe you should try a different kind of soap. I do hope rough skin doesn't come with age. That would just be dreadful. I try to bathe every night so I go to bed feeling clean and refreshed. I try to get Timothy cleaned once a week, but he does hate getting wet.

"Oh my God, Reid!" J.J. shouted.

Harold smiled at Hotch, but Hotch didn't look away. Hotch wasn't going to look away. He was going to stare evil right in the eye.

"I am going to miss that kid for sure. Did you enjoy the photographs I sent to you? The quality was rather impressive if I do say so myself. I am just a bit disappointed that you were not able to hear his screams or his pleas for you to rescue him whenever he dreamed."

Rossi touched Hotch's shoulder, but Hotch didn't turn away from Harold.

"It looks like the woman is going to be just fine," Rossi said.

"The woman? You do not know her name either? It was simply rude of her not to tell me her name when I asked more than once. You do have manners though, don't you agent? I can see it in your eyes, and I could taste it in your sweat."

"I'm going to go check on Reid," Rossi continued.

"How much pain can the human body endure? I do not believe any of us have been formally introduced. Both of you seem to know my name, but let me enlighten you once again. My name is Harold Caldwell, and welcome to my home. I've always been mildly curious to see how much the human body can go through before it completely shuts down, and while some bodies last longer than others. How much blood do you think the youngest member of your team has lost?"

"We are going to have one interesting chat later Mr. Caldwell. I cannot wait to talk with you once you are more formally dressed," Rossi said looking down at Harold's boxers. Rossi smiled at the shocked man, and left to go see Reid.

"That was truly uncalled for Agent Hotchner. Please, do see that he is disciplined. I have the right to wear what I choose in my house. If anything, you should be apologizing to me for such a horrible intrusion. You came into my house without an invitation."

"We came in through the front door," Hotch said. "We were invited when you decided to abduct two federal agents. Do you have any idea of the charges that you are facing?"

"Do you have any idea how glorious it felt to have the young doctor's sex growing in my hand?"

"Get him out of here, now!" Hotch felt sick. He couldn't get over the thoughts in his head telling him that all of this was his fault. He knew that Morgan had been picking on Reid all day, and that Reid never handled the heat well. Hotch shouldn't have paired those two together on a case like this. Hotch made sure he never backed away until Harold was out of sight. All that mattered now was seeing if Reid was still alive.

* * *

J.J. and Prentiss moved past the scene that Hotch and Rossi were dealing with. They hurried over to the woman, and Prentiss worked quickly to get the woman out of her chains. J.J. watched for a second, but she knew that the woman would be just fine. J.J. was more concerned about finding her beloved friend. She kept her gun in front of her, and she tried to stare the pools of blood on the floor. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and she was breathing out of her mouth to avoid the horrid smell of the room.

Against one of the back walls, she saw a pale figure on the floor. The person was in a fetal position, and was covered in dark blood. J.J. saw the light brown hair, and puss coming out of several of the wounds of his back. It was Reid.

"Oh my God, Reid!" She forgot about everything in the room, and ran to her friend. She dropped her knees, and put her gun on the ground beside her. He was completely naked, and some of the scratches on his back were still bleeding. That meant that he was still alive. She put one of her hands on his shoulder, and was alarmed how hot his skin was. "Reid? Can you hear me?"

He weakly opened his brown eyes, and he tried to smile. J.J. had never seen him like this. His skin was ghost white, his pretty eyes had sunken into his house, and his hair was matted in several spots with blood.

"You found me," he said.

"Of course we did," J.J. said, but she couldn't keep her voice steady. She felt his muscles spasm underneath her hand, and he was breathing too quickly. His eyes were starting to roll back into his head when she grabbed his hand.

"Stay with us Reid. We're all here. You're going to be okay. Keep your eyes open. Please, keep your eyes open Spence," she pleaded. He brought his eyes back down, and she squeezed his hand. She looked over her shoulder. Hotch and Rossi were still talking to Harold, and Prentiss was talking to the woman.

"Prentiss! I found Reid!"

Prentiss was on her knees besides J.J. in seconds. J.J. had lowered Reid into her lap, and she was holding him with her legs. She didn't want his back against in stomach in fear that she would be hurting him more than helping him. She was too scared to move him anywhere else.

"Oh my God…" Prentiss mumbled as she took in the extensive damage done to their youngest. "He needs water or he won't be able to stay awake," she said.

She stood up to look for water when Rossi found them. Rossi stayed quiet for what seemed like forever. His jaw dropped slightly open, and lost some of the color from his face. While J.J. felt sick around the cannibal, Rossi looked sicker from seeing Reid dying in her arms.

"We need to get him out of here," Rossi finally said.

Hotch finally came over after two SWAT members had been called to escort Harold out of the house. Hotch was already taking his coat by the time he kneeled down next to J.J. It was a team effort to move Reid even slightly to get the jacket over him. It was freezing, and even though his fever was burning him up, he needed something to protect his back from any further infection. He was probably also grateful to be given the privacy, but J.J. knew that not one of them was judging Reid on how he looked without any clothes on. They just wanted to get him out of there alive. J.J. was crying, and she didn't realize it until she saw a tear fall on Reid's shoulder.

"Excuse me?" a meek voice asked. J.J. looked up, and they saw the frightened woman from the doorway. She had her head peaking in from the hallway, and she was holding a water bottle in her hand. "I thought you could use this. I know there was another woman tied up here."

Rossi went to get the water, and to keep her out of the room. She didn't need to see anything in there.

"Is...is my brother alive?" she asked as Rossi took the water bottle. J.J. looked back at Reid. She hated having to break news like that to family members. Reid was still burning up in her arms, but he wasn't sweating.

"We don't know yet," Rossi said lamely. "Can you get the paramedics to meet us downstairs?"

"Yes, alright," she said looking around.

"Thank you," Rossi said. He ushered her out, and he hurried back over to Reid. With Prentiss' help, they were able to open Reid's mouth and he said poured some water in. J.J. made sure to keep his head upright so he wouldn't choke. Reid swallowed, but he started coughing right after the water went down his throat. His body curled up, and he leaned over. He coughed up all the water that they had given him.

Hotch stood up, and looked around. The other woman had gone downstairs with an officer, and so now they were alone in that room with their youngest member.

"We need to bring him downstairs ourselves," Hotch said.

"I don't think we should move him," Prentiss said. "He's still bleeding."

"A paramedic wouldn't be able to bring a bed up here without one of those stairs collapsing. That'd be too heavy," Rossi said.

J.J. kept Reid close to her, but she felt his muscles trembling in her arms. His body started convulsing, and she did her best to keep him steady. His body was jerking out of her control, and it took both her and Prentiss to keep him from hurting himself further.

"What's happening?" J.J. asked. She was crying, and she was afraid. They had finally come to save him, but were they too late? What was wrong with him? She held onto him tight, and watched his eyes roll back into his head.

"He passed out," Prentiss said. She released her grasp on him, and looked back at Hotch.

"He's badly dehydrated. He needs medical treatment now," Rossi said.

"We need to carry him downstairs," Hotch said. "We don't have much of a choice."

They all agreed without any words, and J.J. moved out of the way so Hotch could pick him up. Hotch wrapped the frail agent around in his jacket, and J.J. could see that his eyes were red. This was hard on everyone. Prentiss opened the door wide, and they filed out of the dark room with Rossi in the lead. J.J. didn't think she would ever get the damned classical musical out of her head. That was all she could hear as she followed Hotch downstairs.

When they had reached the second floor, J.J. saw a small group of paramedics waiting. They were already helping with the woman who was chained to the wall, and they gathered around Hotch the second he got off the last step. He reluctantly gave up Reid to the professionals who situated him onto the bed. J.J. got upset when she saw that they took off his coat, but she knew that they needed to see his back and help him regain consciousness. She could barely see him with all of the medics crowding around him.

One of the paramedics walked over to Hotch with a pad of paper on hand.

"Do you know his name?" The medic didn't even look up as he asked the question.

"That is Doctor Spencer Reid, and he is a member of the BAU team in the FBI. He is 27 years old, and he has been missing for five days," Hotch said.

"Is he going to be alright?" J.J. asked. She felt all the others staring at her, but she didn't care. She was just asking the question that everyone else was thinking.

"I can't really say yet," the medic said. Reid was safely in the bed, and they were wheeling him into the elevator to get to the first level. "He's lost a lot of blood, and he's badly dehydrated. That's our main concern right now."

"Do you know how badly dehydrated he is?" Rossi asked.

"My guess? He's had least 10% fluid loss which isn't pretty. He's had muscle spasms, and he isn't breathing too well."

J.J. hugged onto Prentiss, and let her tears fall without any shame. She had never been more scared in her entire life. When they had found Reid with Tobias Henkle, he had been able to walk away from the scene. He was cut up, but he wasn't running a fever and he hadn't lost that much blood.

"Don't worry ma'am," the medic said when he saw J.J. crying. "We have the best in the state working on him. Would one of you like to ride with him?"

J.J. knew the others were all looking at her again.

"Do you want to go J.J.?"

She nodded her head and followed the medic downstairs.

* * *

"Garcia, you painted my fingernails pink," Morgan said.

Garcia fluffed the pillows behind her dark knight's head, and sat back down next to her phone.

"I might of painted your nails or maybe the nurse did. You have no proof whatsoever of who painted your nails."

"So you're saying, if I look in that big bag of yours right now, I won't find pink nail polish?"

"If you come as close to even thinking about looking through my purse, I'm going to publish all those pictures of you wearing your pink thong."

"Garcia, I don't have a pink thong…"

"Oh my darling, photoshop can truly do wonders," Garcia said smiling. She pat him on the head, and sat back down just as the phone rang. She answered it, and clicked it on speaker phone.

"Speak and be heard," Garcia sang into the phone. "And keep him mind that Agent Morgan is listening to everything that is said during this conversation."

"How are you doing Morgan?" Prentiss asked.

"I'm doing alright. What's happening over there?"

"I just wanted to tell you two that we found Reid. He's not in the best shape…"

"He's alive, right? My baby is alive?" Garcia felt her hands go cold at the thought of anything worse than a scratch on Reid, and she couldn't stop thinking about those horrible pictures from the unsub.

"He's alive. He was unconsciousness when he left for the hospital. J.J. is riding with him."

"Stop scaring me like that Prentiss!" Garcia wiped away a tear from underneath her glasses, and held on tight to Morgan's hand. If it was up to her, she would never let him go. Once she got her hands on Reid, she would make sure that boy genius never left her sight again.

"We'll be over there soon," Prentiss said with a click. Garcia put her phone back down, and looked back at Morgan. She had never been more happy to see him in a little hospital gown with pink nail polish. She had to thank all of her lucky stars tonight that both of her boys were alive.

_and so here we are. the world is totally going to end if you click on the review button. just wait and see_


	30. Chapter 30

_so here we are again. its almost 200 pages long on my word document and im still like in disbelief. this story started out as a shaky idea and now it has a life of its own. bravo to creepy story! ill be back on another plane tomorrow to meet with more casting directors so the next chapter might not come for a bit. i return in five days only to start classes again the very next day. boo. and my major isnt even in english or creative writing. hahahaha_

Rossi wanted to go to the hospital with J.J. and Prentiss, but he figured that he could get more work done by staying behind. They wouldn't be able to see Reid for a while, and Rossi wanted to get a look around the upstairs wing before the other officers came by. Hotch had already gone downstairs to talk to the workers, and Prentiss was following the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She promised to keep him updated, but it wasn't looking good for their youngest member. Rossi wasn't a doctor, but the kid was sitting in a pool of his own blood when they found him. He was too pale, but his labored breathing is what scared Rossi the most. What kind of person could do that to someone? Reid was just a kid. He didn't deserve what happened to him. Like the others, Rossi would have done anything to be in Reid's spot.

When he got to the top of the stairs, he had to take his breath for a moment. It was a long hike, and those stairs weren't going to hold out much longer. Rossi figured that this was only a small part of the third level of the house. The elevator went all the way up to the attic, but it took the riders to a different part of the third level. This small wing was hidden from the rest of the house. Rossi put gloves on over his hands, and decided to look around in the first room first. It was much smaller than the room they found Reid in, but it was very similar in its layout. There was a small table in the center of the room, and many sets of chains hanging off of the walls to keep people in place. There was a very strange chair placed against one of the walls, and upon closer examine, he could tell that anyone forced to sit in the chair would die a painful death. The chair was covered in spikes which would be used to pierce through the skin. He bent over to look at closer, but he didn't need to touch it to find out how sharp it was. There were still pieces of flesh in between the spikes. Harold was one very sick man. Rossi also noted that there weren't any windows. When people were brought up here, they couldn't even have the hope of ever being set free. Inmates in prisons had better sights than the unlucky souls brought up here.

He flipped on a light so he could see better, and then he saw a body of young woman slumped in the corner of the room. It looked like she had been there for a few days, and her body was already starting to decompose. Rossi stepped closer to try and guess her age, but she had been beaten with some kind of bat or club across her face. Part of her skull had caved in, and what was left of her face was swollen beyond recognition. Rossi knew that there might be more victims that he wasn't aware of yet, but he bet that this girl was Maria. She didn't look like the previous victims. Harold hadn't tried to clean her up, and he chose to hide her body here rather than dropping it off. Rossi's guess was that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rossi kept the lights on and the door open as he left. It would air out the room a little bit, and police wouldn't be as shocked as he was to find a body in that condition in the dark. Rossi opened the door wide when he went into the second room. The room, like the first, didn't have any windows. There was a certain heaviness in the air, and Rossi didn't like that feeling. Directly in front of him was another body. This body belonged to an older male who looked like he had been killed with a single bullet to the head. That seemed odd to Rossi. Harold was known for keeping his victims alive for days, and he liked to torture them. This man didn't seem to have any other damage done to him other than the bullet hole. This couldn't be one of Harold's victims. Somebody else killed this man. Rossi noted it down on a pad of paper, and left to go in the final room.

He could almost hear the screams of the people who were killed in this room, and judging by the size of the room, he guessed that a lot of people lost their lives here. The first thing he did was turn off the horrid classical musical that was still playing. He had to listen to that while Hotch talked to Harold, and while J.J. struggled to keep Reid consciousness. He never wanted to hear that music again. He turned it off with one click, but that didn't make that room a nicer place to be. The smell was almost overwhelming. He walked over to the back of the room where they found Reid, and he took in a moment to take in all of the blood on the floor. There was a bloody jacket near the old table, and Rossi knew that the rack by the wall was used on Morgan's arms. Rossi picked up the jacket and looked at it. All of Morgan's clothes and Reid's clothes were taken long ago, and this jacket belonged to a male. He jotted that down his notes, and put the coat back where he found it.

After trying not to imagine what exactly Morgan and Reid went through in the days that they spent in this room, he started to look around at the objects hanging from the walls. While many of the instruments he couldn't identify, he recognized a few. There were many different kinds of whips, knives, and ropes. None of them had been cleaned in years. He ran his fingers over them, and wondered how much evidence was still lying around on these things. Rossi found a cat's claw near one of the whips, but the blood sticking on it wasn't exactly dry. He guessed that if he had it sent in for testing, it would be Reid's blood. Rossi had seen a lot in his days working for the FBI. He had seen monsters that hid in the dark waiting for children to cross their path, and he saw demons that took pictures as they raped and murdered an innocent woman. Yet, in all of his days, he had not met somebody like Harold. He could not wait to be alone with the man who tortured the youngest member on his team. Rossi knew that most of the previous victims had been raped. The only two who survived that bit of it was Samantha and Morgan. Rossi wanted to believe that Harold changed his ways, but Rossi wasn't going to stick to that. Reid looked a lot like Harold's dead brother in the photograph in the library, and Reid wouldn't be able to defend himself after being starved and dehydrated for so long.

Rossi felt himself start to become nauseated at the thought of anyone doing that to Reid, and so he got back to work looking over the tools. He spotted a "pear of anguish" which used to be a very popular form of torture, and he silently prayed that Reid or Morgan were not subject to that. The blood stains on it didn't look too recent, and if Harold did like Reid in the way that he liked his brother, he probably didn't use the pear. The pear resulted in death most of the time because its victims would just bleed out from the trauma.

He walked past the wall when a strange piece of furniture caught his eye. It looked like some kind of old dresser which seemed out of place when he looked at the torture devices around him. He pulled out an open drawer, but he didn't find anything suspicious. It was an empty bottle of something, but the contents of it were gone. He would have to turn it over to get it tested. In the top drawer, he found a series of photographs. Rossi recognized a couple of pictures of Samantha right away along with several of Morgan and Reid. Harold had been taking these photos while they were chained to these walls. The photos of Samantha looked like they had been taken after she died. Harold could be up for the death penalty even without these photos. Harold's future wasn't looking too bright, but Rossi was going to have a very long talk with him before any judge was present.

* * *

Doctor Meyer had seen a lot in his days working in the emergency room, and when he was informed that a federal agent was coming his ways with serious injuries, he was not prepared for what he saw. A team of nurses and paramedics were rushing their way through the hospital with a blonde woman on her cell phone behind them. Her eyes were red, and the doctor guessed that she was friends with the skinny kid on the bed. Meyer joined in the race besides the nurses, and started looking over the paperwork as they pushed the agent into the operating room.

"Spencer Reid, just turned 27 years old not that long ago, severe dehydration and loss of blood," Meyer read out loud. He pulled medical gloves over his hands, and finally looked down at the boy on the bed to see what he was dealing with. There were several clumps of hair sticking to sides of his face, his skin was pale, and his muscles were shaking. An IV was already connected to one of his arms, and he was getting more oxygen with the help of tubes by his nostrils. One of his arms looked broken, and his fever was high. The kid had lost a lot of blood, and from the notes given to him, the gashes in his back were infected. The first thing Meyer had to concentrate on him was getting enough water in the boy to keep him alive. He had been through a lot, and Meyer really didn't know where to start once the kid was hydrated. He pulled up the white sheet to look at the agent's ankles, which had been badly scratched, when he noticed a red spot on the bed. Meyer took the blanket off to see if any of the gashes had reopened, but that wasn't the case. The blood was coming from between the agent's legs. He had been raped, and from the amount of blood, he had been raped more than once.

Meyer put the sheet back over the agent to give him some privacy, but stopping the flow of blood became one of his main concerns. The agent could still bleed to death even if he was fully hydrated. Meyer had not seen anything as bad in years, and had the kid been brought to the hospital days ago, he would have been a lot easier to save. He turned around to prepare the stitches when he heard the familiar frantic beeping of the machines, and the urgent voices of the nurses.

"We're losing him!"

* * *

_Reid woke up, but he didn't see what he thought he would. He wasn't in a hospital room or even in a bed. It looked like the shack where he spent two days of his life tied to a chair being watched over by a murderer with multiple personality disorder. It looked different though. The sun was shining through the old wooden boards, and he could smell wild flowers coming in through outside. The best part was that he wasn't bleeding and tied to a chair. He was standing on his own two legs, and he was able to stretch himself out. His arms didn't ache from being held up for so long, and nothing seemed broken. His clothes even looked brand new. Sitting across the room was Tobias. He wasn't in the ugly brown robe that Reid had seen in him, and his hair wasn't dirty anymore. There was color to his face, and he looked happy to see Reid._

"_Tobias? Where are we?"_

"_Reid? What are you doing here?" Tobias got up, and he looked outside to find the source of Reid's arrival. "You shouldn't be here."_

"_Your father is dead Tobias. Remember? Nothing is going to hurt you anymore."_

"_I know that," Tobias said smiling. He walked away from the window, and wrapped Reid in his arms in a gentle hug. "You can't stay here Reid."_

"_Where are we exactly?" _

"_I don't know. I wasn't here before, but I'm dead. You're not. You have to go back. You can't leave your friends."_

"_How do you know I'm not dead?" Reid had to admit to himself that nothing about this was right. He clearly remembered what Harold did to him, but he didn't have a scratch on his body. He was wearing the same clothes that Harold took him in, but those clothes had probably been destroyed by now. Reid's logical brain was trying to make his understand what was happening, but he didn't want to think about it. He was finally seeing Tobias again._

"_If you were dead, we both wouldn't be here right now."_

_Reid felt tears start to form in his eyes, but he couldn't stop them. It was his fault that Tobias was dead now. It shouldn't have ended that way. Tobias should still be alive and living out his life. It wasn't his fault that he ended up the way he did. _

"_Tobias, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have shot you. Please forgive me. I'm sorry," Reid said._

_Tobias put his hands on Reid's shoulders to calm him down, and looked Reid in the eyes. Reid didn't feel afraid or threatened like he did when Tobias' father was holding him._

"_It's not your fault Reid. I'm finally free, and I couldn't have done that without your help. I will eternally be in your debt for helping me. Can you imagine what would have happened if you never came to the house and found me? More people could have been killed. I cannot thank you enough Spencer Reid."_

"_Did you get to see your mom again?" Reid had never forgotten the last words that Tobias said._

_Tobias smiled widely, and sat down on the floor. Reid sat down next to him and noticed that the floorboards looked brand new. They didn't look anything like they did on the night that he almost died. _

"_She isn't here yet, but I can watch her every day. She's even more beautiful than I remembered. I missed her so much. She's happier now though. I can't wait to meet her again…but you can't be here Reid. I've moved on. You're still alive, and you still have your life to live. When you are ready though, I'll be here. Maybe you could finally meet my mom then!"_

"_It's going to hurt to go back, isn't it?" As glorious as it was in that worn down shack, he couldn't forget what he had to suffer through with Harold. He was surprised to even learn that he had lived through that. _

"_I don't really know. I think your friends are hurting too though. They've been looking for you for a really long time. They really love you, and your parents do too. Your mother still talks about how great you are to the staff in her hospital. You can't leave her."_

_Reid knew that Tobias was right. He hadn't written a letter to his mother in days, and she was used to getting one every night. He hoped that she wasn't too worried about him. He knew that his team had been looking for them, and that they would never have given up looking for him even if statics pointed that finding any survivors of abduction after they had been missing for 36 hours was very unlikely. He knew that he had been found, and he remembered hearing J.J. saying something to the others. Morgan wasn't with him._

"_Is Morgan" _

"_He's not here Reid."_

_Reid breathed out a sigh of relief when he started hearing strange voices around him. The voices weren't coming from Tobias, and they sounded far away. _

"_I think he's coming back doctor!" a woman said._

"_I guess that I have to go," Reid said quietly. _

"_I'll be here when you get back Reid," Tobias said smiling. "Hopefully, we won't be in this place anymore though. I never really liked it here."_

_Reid smiled back, but Tobias' voice was becoming softer and softer. He didn't want to leave. He hadn't even thanked Tobias for saving his life, and he was already going away. Reid wasn't even really sure if any of this was really happy. He had heard stories about what people saw during surgeries or what happened when they died but came back. He wanted to believe that he was really talking to Tobias, but his analytical brain wouldn't let him do so. Even in the fantasy of his own mind, statistics and facts were still coming back to haunt him._

"_Goodbye Tobias," Reid called out as the room around him disappeared. He was brought back into consciousness with a deep breath and a loud cry from the immediate pain. _

* * *

"Any news yet?" Prentiss asked J.J. She found the blonde sitting on a chair in the emergency room with a magazine in her lap. It didn't take a profiler to see that the magazine hadn't been touched.

"Not yet. It wasn't looking good in the ambulance though. He woke up once during the ride, but he was coughing up blood. They think he has pneumonia, but they have the best doctor in town working on him right now."

J.J. was still shaky, and Prentiss couldn't help but think back to the night when J.J. had to kill all of those dogs. Prentiss knew that J.J. still blamed herself, and no matter what Prentiss said, it wouldn't sway her thoughts. She could only do that on her own.

"It's going to be alright J.J. I promise. Have you been in to see Morgan yet?" Getting J.J. to think about something else would calm her down if anything. She didn't think that anyone on the team had slept a wink since they lost Morgan and Reid. J.J. wasn't handling the lack of sleep well.

"I was going to once I found out how Reid was."

"He could be in surgery for a while, and I'm sure that Morgan is going completely crazy in there with Garcia. I'm going to laugh if she was drawing on his face again."

"I just can't leave Reid here. He needs us with him."

"I know he does," Prentiss said sitting down. "Leaving for a few minutes isn't going to hurt him, and I'm sure he'd want us to go check up on Morgan. There's nothing more we can do here."

J.J. nodded, and brushed some of her hair out of her face. She looked like a train wreck. She knew that she couldn't get J.J. to sleep until Reid was out of surgery, but she needed J.J. to relax. This case had been really hard on her. It had been really hard on all of them. It was rare when an unsub went after one of their own, and when it did happen, no one could really prepare. They had been trained to put their lives on the line every single day to save others, but there was no lesson that taught them how to mentally deal with what they heard and saw. That was up to them.

"How will we know when he is done?"

Prentiss helped J.J. to her feet, and put her arm around her to help walk her to Morgan's room.

"It will be a while. Morgan is probably anxious to see us." J.J. didn't say anything else, and so Prentiss led the way to Morgan's room.

* * *

"Garcia! Did you paint my toes too? Come on!" How long had he been out of it? It didn't seem like that long, but somehow, Garcia managed to paint his fingers and toes and decorate his room with stuffed animals. His chest and back hurt every time he moved, and he was still getting used to his bandaged up arm, but he was doing better. He wanted out of that hospital, and back on the field. It was going to kill him to stay here another day. He knew the doctors were concerned about possible infections, but he needed to find out how Reid was. When he last saw the kid, he wasn't in the best shape. He was having a difficult time remembering, and putting the traumatic events in order for some reason. He needed to find out how Reid was, and get the damned nail polish off.

"What if I told you little pixies came in and did your nails while I was in the bathroom? What would you say then?"

"I would say that I am going to tear apart that bag of yours, and throw that nail crap out the window. I will find it in there. What the hell are you on? Pixies? Come on!"

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it. You wouldn't dare look through my purse. You may be brave Derek Morgan, but what's in this purse is something that would scare someone as big as you." She put her purse behind her chair which was clearly out of Morgan's reach.

Morgan was more disappointed that they hadn't gotten anymore phone calls. He knew it hadn't been that long since Prentiss last called, but he still felt sick whenever he thought of what had been done to Reid. All Morgan could do was watch…Morgan felt his stomach turn, and he frantically looked for the bucket given to him.

"Morgan? Morgan? What's going on? Are you okay?"

Morgan grabbed onto the bucket, and he threw up into it. His throat was burning as he coughed into for a second time, but his stomach started to feel better. He dropped the bucket back on the floor and leaned back on his pillow. Garcia's face was red with concern, and she was already up to wrap the blanket back around him and to fluff his pillows.

"Should I call a nurse?"

"No, I'm fine. I'll be better if you promise to paint Reid's nails hot pink." He watched Garcia smile, and that meant he wouldn't have to explain to her why he just threw up. He didn't want to talk about it. He knew that when Rossi and Hotch came by, he would have to relive the worst days of his life, but he didn't want to now. He didn't want to with Garcia.

"Room for two more?"

Morgan looked up, and saw Prentiss and J.J. peeking in. Neither one of them looked their best. Prentiss was missing her dark lipstick, and J.J. wasn't wearing any at all. He was just happier than hell to see them again. He didn't care how they looked. He spent days tied up to some wall like a dog, and he didn't think that he would ever see the rest of his team again. He missed them more than he could have imagined.

"Yay! You made it!" Garcia exclaimed. She got up, and ushered both of them inside. Morgan smiled, and offered up his good arm to hug the girls. He missed them both so much. J.J. was crying, and Morgan felt like crying himself. He wasn't going to though. It was enough to have two crying girls, but he smiled up at them and kissed them on the cheek.

"Oh my God Morgan, I didn't think I'd ever see you again," J.J. said quietly. She sat down on the other side of the bed, and wiped off her tears with the tissues she found.

"You can't get rid of me that easy. I'm staying right here. How's Reid? You guys haven't told me anything about him," Morgan asked. Being a profiler, he noticed right away that both of the girls were avoiding eye contact.

"He's in surgery," Prentiss finally said. "We don't know that much ourselves yet."

"He didn't wake up on the way here," J.J. said.

"When we do find out anything about him, you'll know right after we do," Prentiss continued. She walked around the room, and looked at the various toys scattered on the bed. "Did she really paint your fingernails pink?"

"My toe nails too. That wasn't cool Garcia," Morgan said thinking back to his poor toes.

"Oh, come on! They needed to be done. Do you know how badly your nails looked before I…I mean, the pixies got to them? Really?"

J.J. was finally starting to smile, and Morgan thought it was a good act on Prentiss' part to change the subject.

"Pixies Garcia?" J.J. asked.

"Yes, a group of loveable pixies found our Morgan and decided to brighten his life with pretty colors to match his new friends on the bed," Garcia said.

J.J. and Prentiss both laughed, and Morgan smiled. He couldn't thank his lucky stars enough to be with all of them again.

"Where's Hotch and Rossi? Are they coming soon?" Morgan asked.

"Rossi was looking around that house when I left. He wanted to examine it before anyone else got there to mess it up, and Hotch needed to talk to the workers to see if they knew anything. There were kids there too. I guess some of the kids belonged to Markus's sister," Prentiss said.

"Markus' sister? Where is he? Did you arrest that bastard? He was there, and he saw us. He saw me and Reid, and he didn't help us. He gave us water, but he just left us there!"

"Markus is dead," Prentiss said.

Morgan fell back on his pillow. He didn't really know how to react to this news. He didn't like Markus, but he wasn't sure that he wanted Markus to die.

"How?"

"Morgan, you don't really want" Prentiss started.

"Seriously, tell me." Morgan didn't want to deal with games anymore. He deserved the truth.

"When he found Harold, he was eating Markus…" Prentiss said slowly.

Garcia's eyes got wider, but nobody else in the room did anything. Harold was a cannibal. Morgan should have seen that with the way that the monster was acting around Reid. He was licking at Reid's blood before he raped him…

"Oh my God. Reid? Did he?" Morgan could barely find the words.

"No," Prentiss said smiling. "We found Reid in the back. I didn't see any bite marks on him."

Morgan breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn't get the image of Reid's brutal rape out of his head.

"What happened to Harold?" Garcia asked.

"He got arrested," J.J. said. "I guess he didn't put up a fight or anything, but I think he was messing with Hotch."

"The interrogation should be interesting," Prentiss said.

"Are we going to publically behead him and taking turns spitting at his head?" Morgan joked.

"Get in line!" Prentiss said smiling.

_MOOOOO. I'M A GOAT. more invisible cookies to those who dare to click that spooky looking review button. oh, and did i tell you? i was under the assumption that everyone already knew...THE BIRD'S THE WORD!_


	31. Chapter 31

_sorry for the super long delay you guys. ive been going to california a lot this summer so hopefully ill get cast in something soon. keep ur fingers crossed! and this chapter, um, i wrote it today. i wasnt going to but more than one person has actually written me begging 4 another chapter. i feel totally special. my first cm fanfic. i didnt think i was this good of a writer but yay! thank u guys so much! ill try to have another chapter up this weekend. no promises lol. school just started again so i should probably be looking at my homework or maybe i should be thinking of another chapter. who knows_

After finishing up his notes on the upstairs wing, Rossi headed back down without looking back. He wanted to find Harold's room. He didn't think that he could possibly find anything else as interesting as what he found in those rooms, but he was still curious to see what kind of things Harold looked at before he fell asleep at night. He got back to the main room without any trouble, but he needed to know where Harold's room was before he went wandering off and was never seen again. He pulled out his phone, and dialed Hotch.

"Hotch."

"Hey, you're still with the staff right?" They would know where Harold slept without any trouble at all.

"Yeah, why? What's up?"

"Ask them where Harold's room is."

"We already have more than enough to get the bastard in prison. I'm leaving soon to get to the hospital. We need to see how Reid is, and we haven't gone to see Morgan yet."

"Yeah, I know. I just want to look around his room for a few minutes."

"Okay, hold on." Rossi heard Hotch's muffled voice as he made his way to the elevator. He wasn't going to walk up anymore stairs that night. He saw a sign that was directing visitors a way to the indoor swimming pool. Why was there a sign for the pool, but nothing else?

"He has several bedrooms for himself. One of his favorites is on the third level, second door on the right. I'm going to get one of the children to the hospital. He said he had dinner with Harold, and I don't want to take any chances with the meal being poisoned. His mother is already at the hospital. She was the woman we found tied to the wall. The other children are already with their mother. Her brother was Markus. We could take a few of the servants in for questioning, but none of them really seem to know much. They never even saw Morgan or Reid."

"I'm guessing he brought them in the dead of the night," Rossi said. He pressed the button in the elevator that would take him to the third floor, but he shuddered when he heard more classical music start to play. "He abducted both of them, and then I guess he had Markus take them upstairs while the rest of the staff was still sleeping. It's a large house so nobody heard any strange noises. Morgan and Reid probably didn't even wake up until they were in that room."

It got quiet on the phone for a moment while both of them silently imagined two of their teammates, their family members, waking up in that room. He was sure that both of them knew that there was no possible way out. The fear that went through the agents was a fear that was common in the entire team. While Morgan and Reid had to go through the physical torment of what Harold put them through, the rest of the team went through the emotional agony of knowing that two of their team members were suffering and they couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs after I check out his room," Rossi finally said.

"I'll see you then," Hotch said. The phone clicked off, and Rossi put it back in his pocket. He left that horrible elevator, and reminded himself to take the stairs on the way back down. He wasn't going to listen for classical music the same way ever again.

Rossi walked down the eerily quiet hallway, and pushed open the door that Hotch told him to. The room was dark inside, but something told him that someone was in the room. He slowly pulled out his gun, and aimed in front of him.

"Is there anyone there?" Rossi called out. "Hello?" He fumbled around for a light switch when he heard something coming his way. Before he had time to react, he felt something slam against his foot. He aimed his gun to shoot when he felt fur against his pant legs. He found the light switch and turned it on only to see a furry dog running in between his legs. It was playfully barking, and wagging its tail. He almost laughed at himself for wanting to shoot the little dog.

He pushed the dog aside, and looked around the room. It looked like an average room other than the fact that there was a beautiful fireplace in front of a large bathtub in the bathroom. The television was on with images of the beach with soothing music playing to match the pictures. He had a book of famous Shakespearian plays on his nightstand, and a bowl full of cold water was on the floor for the dog. Rossi slipped on his gloves to look deeper in the room.

Underneath the television, he found a collection of VHS tapes. He put one of the television, and stood back to see if it was an old silent film or something completely different. It took a moment for the tape to register, but when it finally did, Rossi recognized the room it was filmed in immediately. He couldn't forget the dim lighting or the ancient chains that held prisoners against the walls. The camera adjusted itself to the lighting, and Rossi saw both Morgan and Reid held in place by the chains. Rossi also saw another body lying underneath a table in the center of the room. Morgan and Reid looked unconscious. Their socks and shoes were missing, but they still had on the rest of their clothes. This had to be when they were first taken.

Morgan slowly came to consciousness, and after rolling his neck, he opened his eyes. Morgan was on his feet, but his hands were held high above his head. Reid was across the room. His hands and feet were both tied together, but he wasn't waking up. Morgan's breathing was getting faster as he frantically looked around their prison. When he spotted Reid, he started pulling against the chains, and that's when Rossi saw blood start to fall down Morgan's wrists.

"Reid! Reid! Wake up kid!" Morgan called out, but Reid didn't budge. Rossi watched a line of blood fall down his arms until a drop landed on Morgan's head. Morgan stopped pulling at the restraints, but he looked terrified. Rossi felt his own heart speeding up just watching. Harold had been taping everything that happened to Morgan and Reid, and it looked like they were organized by date. Some of the tapes looked like they were over ten years old.

"Reid! It's Morgan. I need you to open your eyes now," Morgan shouted. That was when Morgan finally noticed the dead girl lying in between him and Reid. His eyes grew large as he registered what he was seeing, and he was sweating. "Reid! Wake up!"

Rossi turned around to call Hotch. As much as he wanted to burn the tapes so that they would never see the light of day, he needed to tell Hotch.

"Hey, I was just about to head outside. Are you done?"

"I just found some very interesting tapes regarding our new friend," Rossi said. "Get up here. You'll want to see this." Rossi heard the phone click, and he put it back into his pocket. He turned around, and looked back at the screen. Morgan was still frantically trying to wake Reid up, but the kid hadn't moved an inch. Rossi didn't need to watch anymore. He turned his back to the screen, and wandered around the bedroom.

Hotch stormed in a few minutes later. He looked exhausted. He had dark circles underneath his eyes, and his white skin was unusually pale. Rossi would convince him to stop through a drive thru on the way to the hospital. If Hotch didn't eat something soon, he'd end up in the hospital alongside Morgan and Reid.

"What did you find?"

Rossi pointed towards the television screen, and Hotch turned around to see what Rossi was gesturing to. Rossi glanced at the screen only to find out that Reid had still not woken up and Morgan was growing near tears.

"Is this…?"

"I think it's recording of what he did to them. I haven't looked at all the tapes, but I'm pretty all of the victims are there," Rossi said as he sat down on the bed. He smiled when the little dog ran up to greet Hotch, but he got sick again when he looked at how many tapes there were. "Out of all those people, Morgan and Reid are the only two to get out of here alive. They were the only ones saved, and that was probably because they were with us."

"Reid! Wake up man…please! Wake up!" Morgan was still crying out.

"And Reid isn't doing too well," Hotch said as he turned away from the screen. "We need to get to the hospital. We can tell the others about the tapes on the way." Hotch turned off the television, and went back to the door. Rossi got up to follow when he noticed the little dog was still following every move he made. He couldn't just leave the dog there.

"Hotch, we should take the dog."

"We're not taking the dog," Hotch said firmly.

"The dog's owner has been arrested, you sent the staff away, and the next time anybody is in this house, they will be the crime scene investigators. I'll keep the dog for tonight," Rossi said looking down at the fluff ball that was still wagging his tail. "I wonder what his name is."

Hotch didn't say anything else so Rossi picked up the tiny creature, and followed Hotch downstairs. The dog was licking his face, and for the first time that night, Rossi could finally catch his own breath.

* * *

Hotch tried to ignore the dog running around in the back seat of the SUV, but it was hard when the animal kept barking out the window every five minutes. Rossi didn't seem to mind. Hotch remembered Rossi telling him once how he liked dogs better than women most of the time. Hotch would have to agree. Dogs didn't try to hurt each other just for fun and games. The obnoxious creature in the car wouldn't have tried to kill two of his agents.

"Can we stop for a burger somewhere? We can just go through the drive thru," Rossi said.

"We need to get to the hospital," Hotch said. He didn't want to make any stops. He needed to check on his agents. It was his fault that they ended up in the hospital. If he had reminded Morgan to not goof around or if Hotch himself had went with Reid, none of this would have happened. Hotch would have watched out for Reid, and Morgan would had been safer in another location. The video he had just watched of Morgan and Reid chained to the wall had been imprinted in his memories. He couldn't get it out of his mind.

"I'm hungry, and I know you are too. Prentiss just said that they still don't know anything about Reid yet, but Morgan is doing fine. We have time to go get a burger so we both don't collapse when we walk in the hospital," Rossi argued.

Hotch knew that Rossi was right. Rossi was usually right. Hotch pulled into the drive thru of the first fast food joint he saw, and ordered two burgers with a side of fries for the over excited dog. Rossi talked the entire way to the hospital, but Hotch kept his mouth shut for the most part. He didn't know what he would say to Morgan when they saw each other again after they had both been put through their own personal hell.

Hotch didn't really remembering finishing his burger or parking his car in front of the hospital. He did feel like collapsing onto the street. He didn't remember the last time he got a nice night's sleep or even the last time he lay down in a bed. He was exhausted, but he promised himself that he would sleep as soon as he knew that Reid was okay.

He let Rossi lead the way to Morgan's room. Hotch forgot what room he was in, and he did find it amusing that not a single person told Rossi that he couldn't have the dog with him. Either they thought that the dog was some kind of stuffed animal or they knew that Rossi was FBI, but not one person said a word. As soon as they were in Morgan's room, Hotch guessed the nurses thought the dog was a toy. Morgan's bed was littered with colorful stuffed animals to brighten up the room. Hotch had to smile when he saw Morgan's nails were painted pink with Garcia looking completely innocent as she sat next to him. Prentiss looked tired, but J.J. looked like she was getting sick. This case had taken a toll on his team. All of them were going to get sick if he didn't assure them that it was alright to rest tonight. Morgan actually looked healthier than the rest of the team. Garcia didn't even look like her usual perky self.

"How are you doing Morgan?" Rossi asked. Rossi and Hotch walked up to Morgan's bed, and Hotch remembered how much he truly hated seeing one of his agents in the stupid hospital gowns. Morgan smiled when he saw them, but Hotch couldn't help notice the bandages over his arms, wrists, and ankles. Morgan had been put through a lot, and they still did not know the full extent to which he suffered. They knew what the doctor told them, but Hotch didn't have the stomach to watch the tapes, and no one had the heart to ask Morgan yet.

"I'm doing alright. I'll do much better if you can bring nail polish remover next time you come," Morgan said. Rossi wanted to give Morgan a hug or pat him on the shoulder, but he decided against it. Morgan smiled when he saw the dog in Rossi's arms, but his smile quickly faded. "Is that the dog from Harold's house?"

Rossi absent mindedly handed the dog to Garcia who giggled when it started licking her.

"It's alright Morgan. Harold is gone, and the dog couldn't be left in that house alone. I'll bring it to an animal shelter tomorrow," Rossi said.

"Oh, no! Don't do that. He can stay with me," Garcia said laughing. The dog had gone from licking her face to exploring her purse. "He's adorable. He's like a little mini-me. Aren't you? Oh yes you are!" J.J. and Prentiss were both laughing, but Morgan wasn't amused.

"His name is Timothy," Morgan said slowly. Upon hearing its name, the little creature leaped off Garcia's lap and onto Morgan's bed. It ran up to Morgan, and started licking Morgan's face. Morgan couldn't help but laugh as Rossi removed the dog.

"Aw, how cute!" Garcia squealed. Rossi handed the dog back over to Garcia.

"That dog actually saved Reid's life…" Morgan said quietly. "It was when we first woke up. That sicko had this tube thing down Reid's throat, and it was filled with water. He had a rag over Reid's nose so he couldn't breathe. The bastard was trying to drown him…I was screaming, but it was like he didn't even hear me. Reid was coughing, and he was kicking up his legs, but it wasn't helping. He would have died if that dog didn't come running in. It started barking, and that sicko took the tube out of Reid's throat. I saw blood on the rag that was covering Reid's nose. While pretty boy was over there throwing up, Harold came up to me and started talking like nothing had happened."

Hotch imagined the blood running down Reid's nose, and he felt his stomach turning with the burger he just ate. Morgan's breathing sped up as he saw the actual scene in his own mind, and Hotch wasn't surprised when he fell back in his bed. His head fell to one side as he fell unconscious, and Hotch figured it was for the best. Garcia and J.J. rushed to his bed side, but Hotch wasn't worried. Morgan had been seeing too much to cope with, and so his brain decided to shut down to stop the visions that he was seeing. It was a logical human response.

"Is he going to be okay? What's wrong? Should I try to wake him up? Want me to get a nurse?" Garcia asked without taking any necessary breaths. She had her hands on Morgan's cheeks, and she looked near tears. "He's warm. I think he's running a fever!"

"I'll get a nurse," Prentiss said. She hurried out the door, and Rossi tried to calm Garcia down.

"It's going to be alright. This happens a lot with trauma patients," Rossi said. Garcia was crying, and Hotch noticed that J.J. was looking out of it. He rushed to her side of the bed, and caught her just as she collapsed. Garcia and Rossi both stopped their commotion when they saw that J.J. had also fallen unconscious.

Prentiss and the nurse both stopped in the doorway when they saw that Morgan was passed out on his bed, and that Hotch was having trouble holding J.J. up who had collapsed in his arms. Hotch couldn't believe how weak he felt. Rossi was always right. J.J. didn't weigh that much, and he could barely keep himself sturdy with her added weight.

"Oh my God," Prentiss mumbled. Hotch watched the nurse call for back up, and Prentiss ran to his side to help with J.J.

"What happened?" Prentiss whispered.

"We were looking over Morgan, and her eyes rolled back in her head. This is too much for her. We all need to rest tonight."

Hotch was reluctant, once again, to surrender one of his agents to the doctors. Nurses helped put J.J. into a hospital bed, and they wheeled her out of the room. Another nurse was taking Morgan's temperature when Hotch and the rest of the team were asked to "hang out" in the waiting room. Prentiss went to get them all some coffee, and Hotch fell into his chair.

"J.J. was just tired, and I'm sure she didn't like the images that Morgan's story was providing. She'll be fine, and Morgan is in good hands," Rossi said.

"I know," Hotch said. "Could you drive us back to the hotel after we find out how Reid is? We need to sleep tonight, but I don't trust myself driving right now."

"Timothy and me are going to see if the cafeteria is still open. We both need cake. Don't we Timmy?" Garcia said.

"The dog just had French fries," Rossi said. "I don't think he needs more."

"If I don't get away for a few minutes, I'm going to go completely crazy," Garcia said. "We can go find Prentiss and help carry the coffee." She kissed the little dog on his head, and left towards the cafeteria.

"I don't like seeing her like this," Rossi finally said.

* * *

Harold enjoyed looking at the scenery, and he smiled to himself when he remembered how angry that federal agent got when he mentioned little Spencer's sexuality. He felt himself growing hard with excitement so he tried to distract himself with conversation. He wouldn't be allowed to see the boy again for a while, and he needed to keep himself busy with other thoughts.

"Tell me your names again young men," Harold said to the officers driving. Neither of them came close to the beauty of his young agent, but he had nothing else to look at.

"My name is Charlie," one began.

"Don't talk to him!" the other officer whispered at him. "Didn't you hear the agent at all? We're not supposed to talk to him. He's crazy!"

"I find that truly insulting." Harold couldn't believe that authorities would insult him. Hadn't anyone been raised properly anymore? "You should treat me as a guest while you are driving me around the town. Manners with guests should be just as good as when you are with your family or better."

"Dude, you do know you're going to jail right now. Don't you? You're going to be locked away for a long, long time," the rude officer said.

"Yeah, didn't they find you like eating someone?" Charlie asked.

Harold wiped his tongue over his lips, and he found some stray blood that had been left on his mouth before. The sweetness sent his taste buds on a wild ride. He wanted more. He never planned on having Markus end up where he did, but it wasn't really Harold's fault. Harold wanted to massage his neck and fall into a state of ecstasy, but that would be difficult with his hands being held in cuffs behind him.

"Would you gentlemen please refrain from talking about cannibalism? I do find that very distasteful, and I would rather talk about something more pleasant on our ride through the country side. Do tell me about your wife officer. She hasn't touched you in years, has she? How does that make you feel? Worthless? Unable to perform your duties as an officer of the law?"

Harold had made most of that up to see how the ugly cop would respond. Most men got upset when they thought about their wives not liking them anymore, and with this man in particular who worked nights, he probably didn't sleep with his wife as often as he would have liked. It made Harold happy to watch the older man nervously glance at Charlie to see if and how Charlie reacted to Harold's accusations.

"Shut up you psychopath! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh, but I do. You come home from work every day, and lay down beside your wife only to have her make up some excuse to leave you alone in the bed. When you try to speak with your children, they avoid your conversations. Meals are usually very awkward with nobody knowing what exactly to say, and your wife no longer kisses you goodbye whenever you leave for work."

"Do you know that they could give you a death penalty for the crimes you did buddy? They found you eating one of your servants, and you had an innocent woman chained to your freakin wall! That FBI agent they found in your house was almost dead, and he was just a kid. I'll be so surprised if they don't give you the shot that will leave you rotting in hell."

Harold did enjoy making people angry. People were really very delicate creatures both mentally and physically. It didn't take long to break someone. It was true that some broke before others, but they all break in the end. If Harold had invited this bland looking officer to his house, things could have been interesting. He never tried watching male on male before. That was something he wanted to see, but he never knew how to come about asking one of his guests to perform sexual penetration on another one of his guests without looking too freakish.

"Oh, now that wasn't called for. Was it? Was I stepping out of lines oh nameless officer? Do forgive me. I never mean to be like a pest. My dearest tutors always said that I spoke too much because I was curious about the world. Is it a sin to be as noisy as I sometimes am?"

"If you say one more word wise guy, I'm giving you more charges. Got it buddy?"

"Please do call me Harold, but yes, I understand you completely and fully officer," Harold said smiling. Charlie looked nervous when Harold smiled, but Harold didn't mind. He could never understand why his smile always put people ill at ease. It was strange. Weren't smiles supposed to bring good feelings and happy times? His smiles never did.

* * *

Garcia hugged tightly onto Timothy as soon as she was out of sight of Hotch and Rossi. She fell down in the corners of a bathroom, and let her tears fall. She was so scared. She had never been more scared in her entire life. They still had no idea what was happening to Reid, Morgan was getting sick all over again, and J.J. fainted right in front of her. Garcia didn't say anything, but she had never seen the team like this before. She was certain that all of them had lost weight, and it wouldn't be long before they were roommates in the hospital.

She had always tried to prepare herself that a truly dangerous case would come along, and when her dearest friends left, they might not come back. That was what came with the job. Her babies continually put themselves in life threatening situations, and Garcia couldn't do anything to stop it. She could help as best as she could in her little bubble world full of bright colors and quirky sayings, but she was always scared that one of them would not return home. They relied on her though to keep them distracted and joyful whenever they called her or when they did return to the office. This time was no different. She had to keep them feeling good inside. If they felt good inside, they would feel better all over. That made sense. What would make someone feel good inside? She thought for a moment, and she smiled when Timothy licked her cheek.

"Cookies! You like cookies, don't you?"

Timothy wagged his tail, and licked her again.

"Cookies it is. As soon as we find out Reid is, I'll take us back to the hotel so we could get some sleepy time. I'll make cookies in the morning. Sound good?"

The dog barked, and she hugged him tighter. Animals always made her feel better. Timothy had no idea what happened to his former "father" or what was happening where Timothy once lived. All the dog knew was that it wanted love, and someplace warm to sleep at night. She kissed the dog on the head, and got up to find Prentiss with the coffee.

_poor garcia. that bit does kinda make me sad. all she wants to do is live in a lil fantasy world where no one gets hurt and where people like harold dont exist. when she has to come face to face with what someone like harold can do, she gets all freaked out and thats sad. poor poor garcia. i shall give her a virtual hug and you shall click the review button which will make garcia and me feel like 20x better and i might get the next chapter up sooner. dont u wanna know whats happened 2 reid?_


	32. Chapter 32

_poor reid...im kind of making up the story as i go along. i really have no clue about medical terms and stuff so u can ignore that and just pretend i know exactly what im talking about. mentions of what happened 2 reid r in this chapter so a fair warning. it will get worse though when they watch those tapes_

Prentiss finished up a cup of coffee before Garcia found her. It felt so good to feel the hot liquid going down her throat, but it didn't wake her up as much as she would have wanted. All of this seemed like a nightmare. She just wanted to go to sleep, and forget that any of us this was happening. She didn't like to think that the youngest person on the team could be dying on the operation table or that it would still be a very long time before Morgan could ever recover from what he has been through. She wiped a stray tear from her face, and turned away when she heard Garcia coming in.

"How are you holding up?" Garcia asked. Garcia put the little dog down, and Prentiss poured coffee into the cups she had lined up on the counter.

"I'm alright. How about you?" Prentiss somehow managed to fill up all of the cups without spilling them, and she concentrated on getting sugar and cream into them. She knew that Hotch and Rossi could do without any added flavor, but she thought the extra sugar would help wake them up. None of them were going anywhere until they found out about Reid, and if Morgan was going to be okay.

"I don't know. I mean, I was okay when Morgan was joking around with me, but then he threw up and I don't know. I don't know how to handle all of this. I'm not like you guys. I can't do all of this. The only way I could keep myself from breaking down in front of Morgan was to try not to notice all the bandages and stuff. I'm really scared. I can't even sleep anymore. I mean, I keep seeing those pictures of Morgan and Reid that you sent me…I don't know what I'll do if Reid isn't better," Garcia said. Her face was red again, and she got a tissue to wipe off her tear stained face with.

Prentiss sat down the creamer, and gave Garcia a big hug. She could feel Garcia trembling underneath her, but she didn't know what words could console her distraught friend.

"Both of them will get well soon. The best doctor in the state is working on Reid, and Morgan still needs a lot of rest before he starts becoming like his old self again. You just need to dry your tears, and try to look brave for them. Imagine what Reid will think when he wakes up, and sees you crying like this," Prentiss said.

"I know, I know," Garcia said. She broke away from the hug, and grabbed more tissues. "I'm just a big baby. I know that boy genius will make it through this alright. I mean, he is a genius, isn't he? And Morgan, well, he could take out that bad guy with one arm tied behind his back. They're both goin be okay. You could help me and Timmy make cookies for the boys tomorrow if you want. Cookies make everyone feel better!"

Prentiss laughed, and turned back to finish the coffees.

"Sounds good Garcia. I'm planning on sleeping until late afternoon tomorrow if I can get the chance. I can barely keep my eyes open." Prentiss put all of the coffees into a cup holder, and tried to balance as she turned around.

"Us too. I think Timmy has had a very long night." Garcia picked up the dog, and followed Prentiss back into the waiting room. Out of all of them, Rossi seemed to look the healthiest. He was the only one of the group who remembered to eat, and she was sure that he got a little sleep at night. Hotch looked like a living zombie with black circles underneath his eyes. Prentiss handed out the coffees, but no one even tried to start up a conversation. All of them drank their coffee in silence which made Prentiss even more tired.

"Spencer Reid?" a doctor asked as he walked up to them.

Hotch jumped to his feet with Rossi at his heels. Prentiss hurried up to them, and heard Garcia fumbling with the dog behind her.

"Yes," Hotch said.

"My name is Doctor Meyer, and I'm the one in charge of your agent's care. We almost lost him more than once, but he made it through the surgery. I'm having him stay in intensive care for now so he will get around the clock supervision. I have hope that he will be able to make a full recovery. He is young, and so his body is able to fight more than someone who is older could."

Prentiss could barely move. She couldn't believe that Reid was going to be alright. She still remembered when J.J. found Reid. He was almost drowning in his own blood, and he was too skinny. She could see his muscles spasm in Hotch's arms, but he was going to be okay. Garcia hugged her again, and she felt herself smiling.

"Can you please tell us what happened to him?" Hotch asked. "How sick is he still?"

The doctor pulled up a chair, and motioned for everyone to sit around him. Prentiss guessed, that even though the waiting room wasn't full, the doctor still didn't want to take the chance of somebody eavesdropping.

"Well, he has pneumonia. His fever is higher than I would like it to be, but we're working on that. Four of the gashes in his back were rather serious, and he lost a lot of blood from internal bleeding alone," the doctor said. "I'm surprised he made it to the hospital alive."

"What's the internal bleeding from?" Rossi asked quietly.

"He was raped," Prentiss heard herself say. She felt everyone turning to look at her, but she didn't care. She already knew what happened to their youngest.

"Yes," the doctor said. "Stitching him up and trying to save him from further infection is what took the most time. He had several head wounds, and one of his arms was broken, but that will heal quicker than some of his other injuries. It's also going to be a while before he can start eating solid foods again. I have never seen someone as dehydrated as he was when you brought him in. If you didn't bring him when you did, he would have died."

"When can we see him?" Garcia asked.

"Not until tomorrow at the earliest. I'm still trying to bring his fever down, and on getting him hydrated. I'm having two nurses stay the night with him to make sure nothing else happens."

"Thank you doctor," Rossi said. All of them smiled as the doctor left, but none of them felt much better. Prentiss had guessed that Reid had been raped. He was in a fetal position when they found him, and she saw the blood coming from in between his legs. It just hit her harder than ever when the doctor confirmed her suspicions. That meant that all of this really did happen. The kid who was still afraid of the dark had been beaten to near death and raped. She felt her stomach start to turn, and she excused herself from the group before she threw up in front of them.

* * *

"We're going to need to watch those tapes," Hotch said. He didn't question why Prentiss excused herself so quickly. He felt his own stomach turning inside.

"What tapes?" Garcia asked.

"We found a whole bunch of tapes in Harold's room. We started watching one, but it looks like our new friend liked to tape what he did to his victims," Rossi said. "I didn't look closely, but it looked like one tape was made over ten years ago."

"What does that mean?"

"There's a tape of Morgan and Reid," Hotch said. "When Reid wakes up, I'm not going to ask him to tell us what happened. I don't want him thinking about that at all. He's not going to be happy when he finds out he's on pain medication."

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I don't want to watch any tapes," Garcia said. Hotch didn't expect her to. Hotch didn't really expect anybody on his team to watch those tapes made in hell. He almost felt like it was his duty to watch them. He was going to watch them, show them in court, and make sure that the bastard who hurt Morgan and Reid really did burn in hell.

"It's alright Garcia. Let's just call it a night. All of us need to get some rest," Hotch said.

Rossi drove all of them back to the hotel rooms, and Hotch personally made sure that all of them were going to sleep that night before he retired to his own room. He took a quick shower to wash Reid's blood off of his hands and face, and he got into a warm pair of pajamas, but he didn't feel tired. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, but he couldn't bring himself to sleep. Three of his agents were spending the night in the hospital, and he couldn't stop blaming himself. He should have been tied up in that room, and forced to deal with the sadistic personality of the richest man in the city, not Reid or Morgan.

He didn't really remember falling asleep that night, but when he woke up, he was more tired than ever. His muscles were sore, his eyes were heavy, and he had a blistering headache when he opened his eyes. He instantly got up for coffee, and he changed into his clothes while the coffee brewed. It was not yet dawn, but he needed to check up on Morgan and Reid before he started watching the tapes. He hoped he would not have to watch them alone, but he needed to know what Harold was guilty of before he spoke to him. It was going to take every fiber of his being not to rip that bastard limb from limb.

He drove to the hospital without any music playing, but he didn't mind. The anger building inside of him was enough to keep him awake. He went through the hospital with little to no trouble. As soon as he flashed his badge, the nurses let him on his way. He wanted to see Reid first, but that was almost more trouble than getting into the hospital before visiting hours. They were keeping his youngest agent separate from the rest of the patients due to his position in the FBI, but also because his injuries were so extensive. When Hotch finally managed to find the right room, he was disappointed to find out that Reid had not woken up once during the night. His fever had been going up and down, he cried out in his sleep, and the nurses were kept busy trying to keep his wounds closed up.

Hotch felt like crawling up in a little ball himself when he saw Reid like that. Reid had not gotten any of the color back in his face, and while his hair had been brushed, Hotch could still see where Reid was slammed into the side of the car. It was better that he was still sleeping. Hotch had no idea what he would tell Reid when he woke up. They had a hard enough time helping him get through his experience with Henkle, but Hotch would keep a better eye on Reid this time around. Reid's mental state always seemed more fragile than anyone else on the team. One of Reid's biggest fears was that he would end up suffering from schizophrenia just like his mother, and Hotch imagined that Reid would need to start seeing someone other than his support group to keep himself in the right mind after the week he spent with Harold.

"How he is? Will he wake up sometime today?" Hotch asked. He knew that he sounded like a robot. He never had any emotion in his voice, but that was the least of his concerns.

"He is still really sick sir. There is no telling when he will wake up, but I'd like it if we could get his fever a little lower first. We are still trying to get his body used to the liquids. He hasn't had anything to eat or drink in a long time so this will be a process," one of the nurses said.

"The poor thing has been having nightmares all night," the other nurse said.

Hotch looked at the bandages over Reid's ankles and wrists, and thought back to the chains that cut deep into his skin when he moved against them. Thinking about all the physical and psychological torture that the team's youngest went through seemed like enough to break almost any of them. Adding rape on top of it was almost too much to handle. Hotch would have to come to it himself before he could even try to help Reid.

"We can call you in when we think he is waking up," the first nurse said again. "It might not be today though. The poor baby has been through a lot."

She gently pulled some of the stray strands of hair away from Reid's face, and Hotch watched the boy's eyes quiver underneath his eyelids. He was in another dream.

"His fever's gone up again," the nurse almost shouted. "Get the doctor in here, now!"

Hotch backed away to get out of the way, and watched the nurse take Reid's temperature, and look over his bandages to see if any had been ripped away. Hotch felt his eyes fill with tears, and he left the room as soon as the doctor rushed in with two more nurses. Hotch found a hallway that had been deserted by the hospital staff, and he cried. He cried like he never had before. Hotch didn't know what he would do if Reid died. He relied on Reid so much during their cases, and he knew how much the boy tried to help whenever he could. Reid was probably the one person on his team that didn't deserve this. Hotch bit his tongue to stop his tears, and he started thinking about how he could not wait to sit down with Harold.

He found J.J.'s room only a few doors down from where Morgan was. J.J. was fast asleep, and after making sure that she didn't have a fever, he went down to see Morgan. To his surprise, Morgan was already awake. In fact, Morgan was already trying to get some breakfast food in his room. He looked a lot better than he did last night.

"Hotch? What time is it?" Morgan asked. He shoved some of the stuffed animals off the bed, and Hotch smiled when he saw the bright pink nail polish peeking out from above the bandages on his wrists. Hotch really did love Garcia, and how she brightened up their world.

"It's just before 7am. I couldn't sleep. How are you feeling?" Hotch pulled up a chair next to the bed, and tried not to crush any of the colorful animals that had fallen on the floor.

"Well, I'm hungry," Morgan said smiling. "I'm feeling better. If I say so myself, I think I look better than you Hotch. Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," Hotch said. He really didn't feel bad anywhere. He had coffee before he drove over, and his head stopped hurting. He thought he should probably eat something after the rest of the team came over, but he didn't feel sick.

"Everyone else still sleeping?" Morgan asked.

"I hope so. I know that Garcia didn't plan on waking up until the afternoon, and that Prentiss actually fell asleep on the car ride to the hotel. I don't think Rossi set an alarm this morning."

"What about J.J.?"

"Oh," Hotch said. He forgot that Morgan didn't know that she fainted yesterday. "Last night, after you passed out, J.J. collapsed too. She's alright though. This case has really been a lot more than any of us are used to. She's okay. I checked on her. She's still sleeping."

"How's Reid?" Morgan asked after a moment of silence.

"He still hasn't woken up yet. The nurses don't know when he will. He's been having nightmares, and his fever keeps going up and down." Hotch didn't want to say much. He didn't plan on telling Morgan that Reid didn't look at all like himself. He didn't want to talk about how much skinnier Reid looked or that Reid was more bandaged up than Morgan was. Hotch wasn't going to say anything else that would get Morgan upset again.

"Where did you find me Hotch?" Morgan had broken eye contact, and was looking down at the sheets around his legs.

"Morgan, we can talk," Hotch started.

"No Hotch, I want to know," Morgan stated firmly.

Hotch readjusted himself in his seat, and folded his hands. He didn't want to have to tell Morgan about this, especially when no one else was there to help him with the story. By telling it to Morgan, he would have to relive it himself, and he didn't want to do that.

"We didn't find you. We had an idea that Harold could be the one who abducted you, and so Rossi was talking to him with J.J. A couple of kids found you in a park. Your pictures were plastered all over the news, and so the kids knew it was you. If the kids hadn't been there, we might not have found you until morning. The doctors don't think you would have lasted that long. The two boys actually wanted to talk to you as soon as you are up for it."

"So you let Harold get away again after you found me so he had more time alone with Reid," Morgan mumbled. "Harold was raping him. Did the doctors tell you that? Reid was screaming and fighting back, and I couldn't do anything. All I could do was watch. All I could do was watch boy genius cry for help when that sicko pushed inside of him. There was a lot of blood…"

"It's over now Morgan. Please don't think about it. Do you want to make yourself sick again?" Hotch didn't want to hear about it himself. He didn't know how he would be able to watch those tapes.

"The doctors won't be able to tell you how much Reid fought back. He was trying to protect himself, and he even tried to protect me sometimes. I want to see him Hotch," Morgan said. Morgan looked back up at Hotch, but his brown eyes were full of tears.

"You can see him with the rest of us when he wakes up," Hotch said firmly. "There's no reason to see him now. All of us have seen Reid sleeping before."

"What's going to happen to Harold?" Morgan asked.

"I'm planning on seeing him later today. I don't think that guy even knows how much trouble he is really in. He has no sense of reality. I heard he has been asking how Reid is doing," Hotch said. Harold assumed that Morgan had died. He couldn't wait to tell Harold the truth.

"He is never going to see Reid again!" Morgan shouted.

"Calm down," Hotch said. Morgan got himself built up so easily. He probably wasn't going to be feeling like his old self again until he was allowed to start hitting things.

"How are we feeling in here this morning?" a cheerful voice said behind Hotch. He couldn't be happier to hear the nurse's voice.

"I'd be doing a lot better in here if I could have some bacon and eggs brought in here. Waffles sound pretty good too actually," Morgan said. He had shoved most of the stuffed animals onto the floor, and was making more room for his breakfast to be brought in.

The nurse came in, and went around checking on all his vitals.

"You're not on solid food yet Agent Morgan. I can ask the doctor if you can have that for tomorrow morning. Do you have any headaches or pains anywhere?"

"I'm fine. Why do you keep asking me? You need to check on Reid, not me. I want get out of this damned bed," Morgan said shifting around in his bed.

"Stay in bed agent," the nurse said. "I can get you in a wheelchair later today, but you're staying in that bed until the doctor says it's alright. Got it?"

"Hotch, get me out of here," Morgan moaned.

"I can see you're in good hands," Hotch said smiling. I'll be back when everyone else gets here. I'm going to go see if J.J. woke up."

"Come on Hotch. Don't leave me here."

Hotch smiled again, and left Morgan to the company of the nurse. He wouldn't be that miserable alone with her. She wasn't bad looking, and Morgan always had a way with the women. He probably wouldn't be that happy with her looking over his scratches and taking his temperature, but he'd get over it.

* * *

J.J. woke up slowly, and it took a few minutes just for her to realize that she was awake. She was groggy, and her mouth felt dry. She couldn't remember how she even got there. She pushed herself up on the bed, and looked around. She was in the hospital, but she still couldn't remember what happened.

"How are you feeling J.J.?"

She looked up, and saw Hotch looking in from the doorway.

"I'm fine. Hotch, how did I get here?" J.J. asked. She pulled the sheet down from her waist, and tried to get out of the bed. It had to be a mistake. She wasn't sick.

"Whoa, stay put," Hotch said. "You fainted last night. You're feeling okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't remember last night, but I'm hungry," she said. She put her feet back in the bed, but she didn't lie back down on the pillow. She didn't want to be there. It was embarrassing. She needed to be with the rest of the team. She wasn't sick.

"I'll find a doctor," Hotch said looking back at the doorway.

"Hotch?" J.J. asked. She brought her legs up to her chest, and looked at him. She couldn't remember what happened to Morgan. He was sick, but she didn't know if he was alright or not. "How are Morgan and Reid? Tell me the truth. I want to know. I need to know."

Hotch pulled up a chair next to her bed, and looked her in the eyes.

"Okay J.J. Morgan is doing much better. He was sick last night, but he was trying to deal one of the nurses to get waffles for breakfast this morning," Hotch said.

J.J. laughed. That sounded just like him.

"Waffles do sound good Hotch," she said. "How's Reid? Is he begging for waffles too?"

Hotch shifted in his seat, but his eyes never left hers.

"He hasn't woken up yet. He had a hard night…he's still really sick. He didn't wake up, but there's nurses watching him. He's in intensive care," Hotch said.

"What did Harold do to him?" J.J. hated it when Hotch would skip over a part just because he thought that she wouldn't be able to take it. They did the same thing when they were working on the Henkel case. They didn't want to show her the videos. She knew that they were going to baby her because of her age, but she wanted to feel like part of the team. She never said, but she hated it when they just left her in the office to babysit Reid. She wanted some action too.

"None of that really matters now. When he wakes up, none of us are going to talk about," Hotch said.

"Tell me Hotch."

"He does have pneumonia like you said before. He didn't have much to drink or anything to eat, and so he was badly dehydrated. You saw his back…Rossi thinks he might have found the weapon that Harold used. His ankles and wrists have similar marks to the ones that Morgan has since they were tied to the same kind of chain. One of his arms is broken, and they are trying to stop the wounds from becoming further infected," Hotch said. He had broken eye contact with J.J. as he told her what happened to Reid.

"He was raped too," Hotch quietly said. "Morgan mentioned it to me, and I'm planning on watching the tapes that we found in Harold's house later this afternoon."

"Oh my God," J.J. whispered. Now that she heard the truth, she wanted to forget about. Morgan came out of Harold's place without any type of sexual assault. She felt the blood drain from her face as she imagined the boy she treated like a younger brother going through something as brutal as rape. Without thinking, she swung her legs over the bed and stood up. The only thing going through her mind was how she was going to rip Harold's head from his neck.

"Stay in bed sweetie!" a nurse called from the doorway. J.J. tried to ignore her, but she gently pushed J.J. back on the bed. Hotch didn't say anything.

"Please ma'am, I need to get out of this bed," J.J. said. "I'm not sick. I'm feeling perfectly healthy, and I would like to leave now."

"You are not going anywhere until I get orders back from the doctor. He should be in shortly to check in on you," the nurse argued back.

J.J., feeling defeated, lied back down on the pillow. She hated having to sit there, and wait for permission to move again. She felt useless to help the team, and they needed to stay together now more than ever.

"I'm going down to the kitchen to get some coffee," Hotch said. "Rossi will probably be up by then, and we can stop by again to see how you're doing. They will probably let you out soon if you listen to the nurses."

"What about Garcia and Prentiss?"

"I'm not going to wake them up. They need their sleep. You do too J.J. Try to take another nap. You will probably feel a lot better," Hotch said. "I need my team in tip top straight if we want to finish up this case. I don't want you leaving here until you are ready to work again."

"I know," J.J. said. "I'm really not tired anymore, but my stomach is growling. Save some coffee for me though. I'm going to want some." Hotch left the room without a never word which left J.J. to argue with the nurse about eating solid foods. She was hungry. She didn't want Jell-O.

_follow the yellow brick road. follow the yellow brick road. follow follow follow follow follow the yellow brick road...and click on da review button which you will find once you follow the yellow brick road_


	33. Chapter 33

_sorry for the short delay. um, i still dont know what im doing with the story or how im still doing it. but you guys seem to like it, so, yay! any opinions on what should happen to harold? this story is getting kinda scary _

Anne sat on the end of her bed, and watched her babies sleep. She had given Kyle the other twin bed that came with the hotel room, and her daughter fell asleep in the baby bouncer that Anne brought with her. She was glad that Kyle was too sleepy to ask many questions, but Anne couldn't let her mind rest. She drove for so long to check up on her brother, and she didn't think that she would ever be able to recover from what she saw. Her brother's mouth was bloody, and he was just staring at her with empty eyes as some psychopath ate him. Harold was the person who kidnapped those two agents, and Anne prayed all night that the two people found in that room would be okay. She knew that the young agent was in horrible condition, and she felt like she should have tried to help more than she did. What she couldn't figure out was if her brother knew what Harold was doing up there. He had to have been trying to protect the city, and save the poor people held captive in that room.

She still hadn't come to the realization that she would have to plan for a funeral soon. She would need to take time off work, and try to live off the extra money that Markus had been sending her. She didn't have any idea how to explain to Kyle that he would never see his uncle again. Anne felt herself tear up when she thought that she would never see her brother again. He was always there for her. Whenever she needed someone to talk to or when she was close to living on the streets, he was always there to help her. He was all she had, and now he was gone.

The agent with the darker hair had taken her phone number, but no one called her yet. She desperately wanted to talk to one of them. They would be able to tell her what Markus was doing up there. She pushed her empty alcohol bottle to the side, and crawled into the bed. She knew she would have to try and get some sleep before the sun rose too high in the sky. She had a lot of work ahead of her when the children woke up, and when the FBI finally called. She watched the sun get higher in the sky, and silently cursed the alcohol for not putting her to sleep sooner. She said another quick prayer for the soul of her brother, and for the safety of the two people that were found in Harold's house. She hoped that no one else would have to die.

* * *

Rossi woke up to a fresh pot of coffee that he set on a timer the night before. He couldn't believe that he slept past the sounds of the coffee being made. He was usually up early every morning, and ready to be out the door with the sun. He felt bad for sleeping this late, but he knew that he needed it. This case had taken an emotional toll on him, and he had serious doubt that he would ever really be the same again. It is not every day that you have to see a boy that you consider to be like your own son dying before your eyes. He didn't think any amount of medicine that he could drown down his own throat would get that image out of his mind. The only counsel he had was that the doctors were going to get Reid back on his feet again. What bothered him the most was that this was Reid's second abduction. He was the youngest of the team, but he was the target of two psychopaths that had come their way. Right after he had his coffee and some breakfast, he was going to the hospital to see if Reid had woken up yet. He also wanted to visit Morgan and J.J.

He got out two cups of coffee to bring one to Hotch, but then he noticed the time. It was after 10am, and knowing Hotch as well as he did, Hotch was already at the hospital. Rossi sighed, but poured a second cup anyway. Prentiss was probably still sleeping, and she would need the warm cup when she got up. He pulled out his cell phone after he finished some breakfast, and started to get dressed.

"Hotch."

"Do you ever sleep?" Rossi said with a smile.

"I slept alright," Hotch said. Rossi knew it was a lie, but he decided not to pressure him.

"How is everyone? Did Reid wake up yet?" Rossi held the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he struggled to pull a pair of pants up his legs. It was more difficult than he thought.

"J.J. is fine. She'll probably be released soon. Morgan is doing a lot better. He was trying to hassle the nurses for waffles this morning. Reid still isn't awake yet. He didn't wake up all night. He didn't even look like himself when I saw him this morning."

"I'm heading over there now. Want me to wake Prentiss or Garcia up?"

"They need their sleep," Hotch said. "They can just call us when they wake up. After you see everyone down here, I'm going to watch those tapes. I need to see what happened before I talk to Harold later today."

Rossi poured the rest of the coffee down his throat, and pulled a coat over his shirt. It was hot outside, but he liked to look as professional as possible. Besides, it was usually freezing in hospitals.

"Are we going to watch all of the tapes or just the ones with Morgan and Reid?"

"Rossi, I'm not asking you to," Hotch began.

"I know, but I'm coming. I can handle this. I would never want to ask Reid or Morgan what happened up there. I'll be there in a few," Rossi said. He put the phone in his pocket, and was out the door in less than a minute.

He didn't call Hotch the second he got there. Like Hotch, he wandered down the corridors to see if he could find Reid. The hospital was quiet that morning, but he imagined that the media would be finding out about Reid soon enough. It wouldn't be long before all of them were bombarded with questions that still needed answers. Rossi found his young teammate in a section all to himself, but Rossi didn't have the courage to go inside. He saw two nurses sitting him with him, and every now and then, one of them would get up to check Reid's vitals. Hotch was right though. Reid didn't look like himself. Rossi knew that none of them would look their greatest after spending a week with someone like Harold, but Rossi was going to keep his spirits uplifted before he could sit himself down to watch those tapes. Watching Reid toss and turn in his never ending nightmares would do nothing for Rossi's peace of mind.

The younger of the two nurses spotted Rossi as he turned to leave. He wasn't really in the mood to talk to her. The coffee was really starting to wake him up, and he wanted to find Hotch. The sooner they watched those tapes, the sooner he would be allowed to be alone in a room with the man who did this to Reid and Morgan.

"Agent?"

"Agent Rossi," Rossi said. He extended his hand to her, and smiled when she gently shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you Agent Rossi. My name is Vivien, and I'll be taking care of Agent Reid today. The doctor should be in shortly, but I think he is making progress. Getting through the first night is always the hardest," she said looking back at Reid.

"How is he really?" Rossi asked.

"His fever is still going up and down which is causing us some concern. The pneumonia really wiped a lot out of him, and we try to keep him still. He moved a bit during a nightmare last night which reopened a few of his stitches. I have my fingers crossed though that he will be moved to a regular room by the end of today," Vivien said smiling.

Vivien was a very pretty woman with small features, and dark hair that complimented her blue eyes. Her smile was sincere, and her concern was genuine. Rossi felt like Reid couldn't have found a better nurse in the hospital if he looked.

"Thank you nurse," Rossi said. He left her to her duties, and went to find Hotch. The team leader was sitting inside of Morgan's room with a coffee in his hands. Morgan was just as Hotch described: awake and ready to get out of bed.

"Feeling better already?" Rossi asked Morgan. Rossi stood beside Hotch, and even though Morgan had much of the color back in his face, he was still bandaged up. Rossi could even see the thick bandages around his ankles protruding from the thin bed sheet. It hurt Rossi to see him like that.

"I'm sick of being trapped in this stupid bed. I feel fine guys. I want to go have a few choice words with Harold," Morgan growled.

"I don't you or Reid anywhere near him," Hotch warned. "Let the rest of us handle him."

"Come on Hotch," Morgan whined.

"Hotch is right," Rossi said. "We better get going though."

"Where are you guys going?"

"We are just going to look over a few more things at Harold's house," Rossi said. He looked over at Hotch for encouragement, and watched Hotch stand up. "We just need to double check on something, but we should be back in a few hours. Prentiss and Garcia will be here soon."

"J.J. will be out of bed soon too," Hotch added.

"You can ask Garcia for more nail polish," Rossi said winking at Morgan. "It looks like you have chipped off most of your first coat."

* * *

Prentiss woke up with a start. She couldn't even remember the last time she had a nightmare, but she had one last night. Sweat was dripping off her face, and her body was shaking. She was usually so good about handling her emotions so it was a shock to wake up feeling like she had just escaped from a psychopathic murderer. Her heart was still pounding, but she couldn't remember the dream. She pulled the hair off that was sticking to her face, but she had a hard time trying to calm herself down. She looked at the clock, and saw that it was almost 11am.

She thought about going next door to wake up Hotch and Rossi, but she knew they were already awake and gone. She thought about going to the hospital, but they would have called her if there were any changes with Reid or if something badly had happened to Morgan. She got dressed, and drank two cups of coffee before she headed out the door. She decided not to go to the hospital that morning. She felt ill whenever she thought about what happened to Reid, and what the poor kid still had to through. She wanted Harold to suffer many time over for what he did to Reid, and for what he was still doing to Reid. She sent Garcia a text to let everyone know where she was, and she left the hotel to go to Harold's house.

The house itself sent chills down her spine even on the hot day outside. She slipped herself under the yellow tape, and listened to the door creak as she pushed it open. The house was quiet inside, and it was eerie to hear nothing more than the sounds of her own breath. Even though the house was empty, she really didn't want to be there alone. She felt her heart beat speed up, and she couldn't stop herself from imagining what the people went through who were murdered in this house. She patted her gun in its holster to remind herself that she was safe, and then she walked slowly up the stairs. She wanted to see the room for herself, and it seemed like a perfect time for her to look around before everyone else got there.

The stairs wobbled underneath her feet with every step she took, and she kept imaging that if this staircase fell, it would be weeks before anyone ever found her. She made it to the top of the staircase, and noticed the three doors from last night. Half of her had hoped that she would get lost so she wouldn't have to go back there again, but she somehow made it. She walked to the third door, but she wasn't surprised to see the door already open. She put a pair of gloves over her hands, and stepped in the room.

The smell was the first thing to hit her. She was convinced that she could work for the FBI for the rest of her life, and she would still never get used to the smell of blood. That smell was almost devouring the room, and it took most of her will power to ignore it. It took a few moments for her eyes to get used to the dim setting of the lighting system, but that was not difficult. What was difficult was to look at the chains hanging down from the walls, and realizing that two of her closest friends had been there. The blood that was stained to the wall and floor belonged to Morgan and Reid. She bent down closer to one of the walls, and saw the tiny spikes on the ends of the chains that would have been wrapped around someone's wrist or ankle. She stood back up, and walked past the table and the rack still lying on the floor. The back wall had attracted her attention, and she scanned over all of the devices and instruments she found. She knew that she would be able to guess which ones were used recently just from how dry the blood was on it. She picked up the cat's claw, and saw that its sharp edges matched the marks that were on Reid's back. She dropped it, and left the room.

Prentiss was thankful that she was able to find Harold's room easier than she first thought. She slightly remembered Hotch telling them where bedroom was last night. The door was the only one open in its hallway, and Prentiss cautiously made her way into it. She was almost expecting to see dead bodies scattered across the floor, but the room was well taken care of. Prentiss always considered herself growing up in a wealthy household, but it was nothing like this. His tub was the size of her kitchen, and it had a fireplace directly behind it. It was still mind bobbling how someone with this kind of money and power would spend his spare time torturing people to death. If Prentiss had gold lining on her bathtub like Harold did, she would rarely leave the house. Then again, if it was up to her, Harold would never see this place again.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She laughed at herself when she realized that is was just her cell, and she walked around to Harold's bookcase to what he had last read.

"Prentiss."

"Oh my God girl, you guys just left me here?" Garcia complained.

"Nobody wanted to wake you up! Besides, the boys left all of us this morning. Both of them were gone way before I even got up."

"Yeah, well apparently Harold has been asking how Reid was all night. I guess he wouldn't leave the other inmates alone, and they moved him to some special cell. He's still asking to see Reid again Prentiss. This is freaking me out like a lot. Why won't he leave my baby alone?"

"I'm kind of scared about seeing this guy again too. I want to go down with Hotch and Rossi when they talk to him. I don't think I want to say anything to him. I don't think I could without ripping his throat out for what he did…but I want to see the face of the devil," Prentiss said.

"How is Morgan? I was so worried about him last night. Is he better?"

"I don't know. I didn't call Hotch or Rossi yet. I'm that he is feeling alright, and so is Reid. They would have called us if anything else happened. Are you going back to the hospital soon? You can tell me all about them. I miss my boys."

"So do I," Garcia said softly. "I'm going to the hospital soon, but they won't be the same ever again. Will they? Especially Reid…I had a nightmare last night. Both of them were screaming at me to help them, but I couldn't. They looked like they did in those stupid pictures. If I can't handle pictures of what happened, how could they handle what really happened?"

"We're going to get through this Garcia. I promise. We are going to stick together."

"I know. You're right. I'm just being a big goofball. That's all. I'm going to make the cookies before I go to the hospital. Seeing both of them awake and smiling will probably make me feel better. Oh, and seeing that Harold guy get beat up by Hotch will make me happy. Those are the kind of pictures I want to see."

"Okay. Sounds good to me. Just make sure you don't forget to tell me how they're doing."

"Will do. Have fun at creepy psychopathic rich guy's house."

"Wait, Garcia?"

"Yeah?"

"They do have maximum security on Harold, right?" Prentiss couldn't bear the thought of him getting loose somehow. She knew that the odds were unlikely, Reid could tell her the exact statistics later on, but she wanted to be sure.

"I think so. Why? Is something wrong?" Prentiss could hear the panic rising in Garcia's voice.

"No, I'm just paranoid I think. Don't worry. Harold's little sidekick is dead so there's nothing else to worry about. I'll talk to later Garcia."

Prentiss shoved her phone back in her pocket, and walked over to the television set. She wished that she was as cheerful as Garcia always managed to be. Prentiss was having a difficult time thinking that everyone was really good at heart, and she just wondered if Garcia even believed that herself anymore. The only thing she really knew for certain was that she'd rather be back at the hotel to make cookies with Garcia.

"You're here already?"

Prentiss nearly suffered a second heart attack within the last half an hour simply because the house gave her creeps. She probably would have grabbed her gun and shot if she didn't recognize Rossi's voice. She turned around and saw Hotch and Rossi just coming in the room.

"Yeah, I woke up and saw that both of you were gone already. I figured that you would be coming back here after you went to the hospital. Guess I was right," she said.

Rossi looked awake enough, Prentiss guessed that he had more than one cup of coffee that morning, but Hotch didn't look like he had a good night's sleep. She couldn't really remember a time when Hotch ever looked this ill. He looked better when he received the court orders that told him Haley wanted a divorce, and that was hard on him.

"Find anything new?" Rossi asked.

"Not much that we didn't know before. I'm just wondering if he read more books than Reid has. This bookcase looks like a miniature library, and it's all full of classical literature or writings from old philosophers. He also has several pictures of his brother in the bathroom, but there's none out in the bedroom which is kind of strange. I was also thinking last night about why Harold usually washed his victim's face before he dropped them off. He tortured the people he abducted for days, but he didn't do anything to their faces. He liked to look at them, and they won't be 'pretty' to look at with cut up faces," Prentiss said. She couldn't stop looking at the video tapes underneath the television set. She knew that one of them could tell her what exactly Morgan and Reid went through while they were waiting for salvation. "How are Morgan and Reid doing? Did the doctors say why Morgan collapsed like he did?"

"He's still trying to process what happened to him," Rossi said. "He acts like a tough guy on the outside, but he's just like the rest of us. It's going to be a long road to recovery. I suspect that he is going to make progress faster as soon as he can walk again. You know how he hates being cooped up in a little space like that."

"And Reid?"

"He still hasn't woken up yet. He probably will today though," Rossi said quickly.

"Are you sure you want to be here and not at the hospital with Garcia? I have a feeling that these tapes are going to be worse than the ones we saw with Henkle," Hotch said.

"I know," Prentiss said. She sat down firmly on the couch in front of the television, and looked back up at Hotch. She was of more use here than at the hospital. That place would only depress her more, and she was already getting ready for Garcia to call her when she found out that poor Reid wasn't awake yet. She would rather get that call though than one from the station. She still had that little voice reminding her in her head that all jail systems were not secure. They have had more than one crazy person escape from jail, and what would keep Morgan and Reid safe then? Harold didn't know that Morgan was still alive, and Harold still wanted Reid. Prentiss would have to talk to Rossi and Hotch about this after the tapes. She had a bad feeling.

"Okay," Hotch said. Rossi sat down next to Prentiss, and after Hotch slipped the first tape in, he sat down next to them. Prentiss put her hands in her lap, and she felt her heart speed up when she saw Morgan first waking up to his nightmare. Reid was unconscious with a serious head wound with the wall across from Morgan, and Prentiss had no idea how she would be able to watch this.

* * *

Harold hated being locked up in the cell more than anything. When they had first brought him there, they placed him in a little cell next to a rather charming fellow named Stewart. Harold never found out what that man was being charged with, but he thought they were having a delightful conversation about the death penalty when he was abruptly moved to another cell. It wasn't his fault that the shy fellow couldn't hold conversation. The guard holding him was rough, and he smelt like a cafeteria bathroom. He disgusted Harold.

"Please, kindest sir, you do not have to hold me so tightly," Harold said as he was being escorted to the second cell.

"Shut up scumbag. This is going to be your new home now."

"Oh, that was harsh. That really was, and I do think that you are beginning to hurt my feelings." Harold looked around, and he noticed that it was getting darker in the back of the jail. It reminded him a lot of his secret rooms upstairs, and he started getting excited when he thought about the boy bleeding on the wall.

"You were hurtin FBI agents! They are goin lock you away forever and ever."

"Do you know how my dearest friend is doing? His name is Spencer Reid, and I am ever so curious to his whereabouts. I'm sure he misses me as well, and it is nothing more than a sin straight from the Bible to separate two best buddies."

"What in the world are you talking about?" The overweight officer shoved Harold into the cell, but Harold didn't stumble. Harold kept his balance, and didn't move his eyes away from the horrible man who called himself law enforcement. The door was slammed, but Harold didn't flinch. He wasn't afraid of the cop who was referred to by the other officers as Richard, but Harold wasn't going to give him the glory of calling him by his name. Harold was going to call him Tubby from that moment on.

"Tubby, between you and me, you really do have a weight problem and that should be one of your main concentrations from now on if you want to live to see next year. But you were not asking me about the slabs of fat hanging below your belt, you were asking me about Spencer Reid. Oh, I do miss him. His hair was soft, his skin was smooth, and his breath gave me tingles inside. I do not think he would have liked you though. You smell funny," Harold said smiling.

"You're still talking about that agent, aren't you? That's why they keep moving you so many times buddy. You're a freak, and don't you dare call me fat."

"I'm sorry. I truly am. Did your mother think you were beautiful Tubby?"

Harold watched Tubby lean closer to his cell, but Harold didn't move. Harold could smell the fat man's breath sweep over his face, but Harold stayed still.

"I am going to be sitting in the front row when they put you to death psychopath. I'll be there with my camera. Wait and see," Tubby warned.

"Oh, I am waiting my new friend. I simply cannot wait for the day when we never have to speak to each other again. You are a prime example of disgrace in the human race. Are you quite aware of that? Do your strange odors keep you awake at night? Is that why there is no ring around your finger?" Harold had to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying anything more. The anger building up inside of Tubby reminded Harold of a volcano about to erupt. This would be far better than any volcano exploding because this was up close and personal.

"They aren't going to need a trial for you! The death penalty is probably too good for a son of a bitch like you! I'll kill you myself you,"

"Please do not use foul language in my presence. It makes me unhappy," Harold said. He backed away from the jail bars, and sat down on his new bed. It was hard against his pants, and he didn't like it one bit. "Do I not get one phone call? I would like to call Reid. I miss him." Harold smiled again, and watched Tubby storm away. This was turning out to be quite the adventure.

_Spider pig, spider pig, does whatever a spider pig does. Can he swing from a web? No he can't. He's a pig. Look out, he's the spider pig. Spider pig is my one true hero, and I love him forever. Can he stop Harold? Probably not...cuz hes a pig...so yeah. You should review and spider pig might come out of nowhere and save the day!Or...he might fly to your window and watch you sleep...ok, thats REALLY creepy so im stopping now...yeah, REVIEW plz!_


	34. Chapter 34

_so um, i apologize for the huge break. i know you guys have been writing me. it actually is surprising when people are like begging me for another chapter. how awesome is that. i didnt think i was that good of a writer but how cool. um, i have no idea whats happening again. i dont really have an outline for the story. it just comes and goes. um, theres a tiny warning for this chapter just because hotch and peoples are watching the tapes. but ill try to have the next chapter up by next week. i just got a new job at a haunted house so im working weekends and then i just lost a pet. her name was melody and she died in her cage. she was a little mouse and im broken hearted. and now her sister, pixie, has a tumor and i cant really afford a surgery so please pray for little pixie. okies, on with da story!_

J.J. couldn't sign her name fast enough to get out of that damned hospital. She wasn't feeling ill at all and there were more important matters going on. As soon as she scribbled her name on that last line, she hurried back to Morgan's room. She knew that the others had already left back to Harold's house, and it didn't surprise her that she was left behind. She was used to it by that point. It seemed like she was always left with Reid, and she guessed that it was simply because they were the youngest. They needed to be protected. She almost laughed out loud when she stood in his doorway and watched Morgan attempt to get into a wheelchair without any help from his bandaged up arms.

"Need some help big guy?" J.J. asked smiling.

Morgan looked surprised to see her, but he didn't stop his quest to get from the bed into the chair. He shifted his body towards the edge of the bed, and out of reflex, he put one of his arms out to stead himself which was almost a disaster. Morgan had suffered from two dislocated shoulders along with the severe cuts done to his wrists. He would not be moving like normal again for a while. He cried out when his arm slipped, and he nearly fell out of the bed. J.J. ran to catch him if he fell, but he managed to pull himself back on the bed.

"Are you alright J.J.?" Morgan asked after he settled back down.

"You're asking me? I feel great. We could go run a marathon right now, and I'd probably win. What about you? Your arms look painful," J.J. said. She wasn't going to get used to seeing a guy as tough as Morgan wearing a hospital gown with bandages covering his strong arms.

"I would be much better if they would get me out of this bed. It smells funny."

J.J. laughed and pulled up a chair next to him. It really felt good to see him again after all that time. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if something happened to Morgan. He was always there for her, and she wanted to be able to say the same. She felt herself tearing up just thinking about losing anyone on their team. They were like a family, and she would give her life for them. She hoped they knew that.

"What are Hotch and Rossi looking for at that house?" Morgan asked after a moment of silence. J.J. felt Morgan's eyes on her, and she knew he was looking for a lie.

"I honestly don't know. They didn't tell me, and I wasn't invited to go. I don't know if I'd want to go back there even if they paid me double. Are you really okay Morgan? I don't know what you went through, and I don't think I could even begin to imagine. Harold was taunting us with photos though. It was killing us," J.J. said.

"He did send out the photos? Damn!" Morgan cursed. "I remember him taking them. I thought it was more of a scare tactic. I didn't think he actually sent them. We need to go check on the kid though. I want to be there when he wakes up. You should have seen how brave he was. I was scared to death, but he was fighting back. He fought as long as he could…"

J.J. felt Morgan going into another world, and she couldn't let him go there. She wouldn't know how to talk to him once he did start remembering all of the horrible things that were done to him, and what he had to live through. She had to keep him feeling good inside.

"It's over now Morgan. Both of you are going to get better."

"He was screaming, crying out for me, and I couldn't stop it. Oh my God, I couldn't help him," Morgan said softly. She could see the tears in his eyes.

"He knows that you couldn't do anything. You were tied up, but it's okay now. All of us were so scared that we were going to lose you, and you helped us find Reid and Harold in the end. You did help him."

"I really was scared. I thought it was the end. I mean, the way that guy looked at me made me believe that he really was going to kill me and Reid."

"Do you really think we wouldn't find you? I'm sure those two boys who found you in the park can't wait to talk to you," J.J. said as she tried to change the topic. She didn't feel that she was the right person that Morgan should be talking to about what happened. She was so worried that she would say the wrong thing which would hurt Morgan even more.

"I really want to know what Hotch is doing at that house. It has to be something important, and I guess Prentiss went with him since she isn't here."

"Morgan, I really don't know. I didn't go back with the hotel with them last night, but it probably isn't something you should be worrying over. I'll help you get in that wheelchair after I find out if Reid got a room or not. Sound good?" J.J. asked. She hoped her white lie about not knowing what Hotch was doing would satisfy Morgan. She hated lying, but Morgan didn't need to know about those tapes.

"Guess who brought treats!" Garcia chimed. J.J. turned and saw her coming in the room holding a basket of snacks. She couldn't have been relieved to see Garcia. She stepped aside so Garcia could see how well Morgan was doing, and she laughed when Garcia put the sheet back over Morgan's legs.

"Come on Garcia," Morgan complained.

"I'll go see about Reid," J.J. volunteered. She knew that Morgan and Garcia needed some time alone too. All of them needed a long vacation once both of the boys were well enough. All of them had been through more than the other agents in their field. She looked back in the room before she went to find a nurse and saw Garcia fussing over his bandages. Morgan, in some ways, would be harder to help emotionally than Reid would. Morgan liked to have his image be that of the alpha male who could handle everything by himself, but he couldn't be left alone after what he had been through.

J.J. walked up to the front desk, and waited patiently for the nurse to get off the phone.

"May I help you ma'am?"

"Yes, I was wondering if Agent Reid got a room yet. I'm on his team at the FBI," J.J. said in one breath. She watched the nurse type some words into her computer, and J.J. tried to hide her excitement of seeing Reid again. She couldn't wait to hug him tight, and she silently vowed than she wouldn't let him get hurt anymore. She loved him like a brother.

"He's still in critical condition, but they are going to move him to a room once his fever goes down. I can let you know though," the nurse said with little to no emotion.

"He's still in critical condition? Why?"

"The nurses are having a difficult time stabilizing him. Some of his wounds were badly infected, and he is still breathing faster than normal. Don't worry though. He's young so I have no worries that he can't overcome this," the nurse said again. Her face was already back to her computer which was a strong indicator for J.J. to leave. J.J. felt her stomach spinning again, and she knew the color had disappeared from her face. Reid was supposed to be alright.

* * *

Prentiss was feeling anxious when Hotch put in the first tape. She already knew what was on those tapes, and she couldn't believe that she was going to watch them. Hotch was sitting with an expressionless face, and Rossi was looking rather uncomfortable. None of them wanted to be there. She knew that much, but she wasn't going to back down. She had seen what Harold did to his victims by looking over their bodies.

The tape started off slowly with Morgan regaining his consciousness, and realizing that he was waking up to hell on earth. Blood fell down his arms as he tried to move towards Reid, and Prentiss had to bite on her tongue to hold back her own emotions. In all of the time she spent working with Morgan, she had never seen him look like that before.

"I wonder if he knew that Morgan was going to wake up," Rossi commented. Morgan was frantically pulling at his chains in a pathetic attempt to wake up Reid. Prentiss couldn't help but cringe when she got a good look at the mark Harold left on Reid's head. It was obvious that he was suffering from a concussion, and that he needed medical care immediately.

"I'm sure he figured Morgan would wake up before Reid did depending on what exactly he gave Morgan," Hotch said. "Reid was bleeding pretty badly."

"There's a girl in the middle of the floor," Prentiss suddenly noticed. A girl was lying underneath the table between Morgan and Reid. Prentiss only noticed her because Morgan caught a glimpse of her. "It's Samantha…" The young girl was staring wide eyed at Morgan with a black hole where her mouth was.

Hotch had to fast forward through most of the tape which consisted of Morgan crying at Reid to wake up. Morgan didn't sleep at all the first night they were abducted. He cursed at himself and begged his attacker to show himself, but Morgan never shut his eyes. Nobody on the team slept when they were taken. Prentiss remembered that well. Hotch let the tape play on its own once Harold walked into the room. Prentiss wasn't surprised to see that he was wearing silk pajamas or that Morgan was almost challenging him to a fight even though Morgan clearly couldn't move that much. Reid was unconsciousness until Harold had the nerve to kick the poor boy in the ribcage. No one in the room said a word when Reid started to wake up only to have a tube shoved down his throat.

"Oh my God," Prentiss couldn't help but say.

"He's forcing Reid to drink," Rossi said slowly. "He's trying to drown Reid, and he's humming a tune to some song."

Prentiss had to close her eyes. As brave as she thought she was, she couldn't watch the youngest member on their team kick his legs in the air to get some air into his lungs. She opened her eyes again when she heard cooing noises coming from Harold. She recognized the little ball of fur immediately. The tube was removed, and Reid bent over and threw up everything he had in his stomach. Prentiss knew her eyes were watering when she saw blood drip from Reid's nose.

"He wasn't going to stop if the dog hadn't come," Hotch said. "So he goes into fits of rage that cannot be controlled except for the dog. He was completely ignoring Morgan's threats and he blocked out Reid's defenses."

"He doesn't pay attention to reality," Prentiss added. "He was talking about movies, and didn't seem to care that he had two tied up agents in his house."

Morgan and Reid both calmed down after Harold left to walk his dog or something, and Morgan tried to keep Reid calm which was hard considering there was a dead girl in the middle of the room. Prentiss' heart broke when she saw how sick Reid really was. He could barely form complete sentences, and Morgan seemed to have a difficult time accepting that he was not in control of the situation.

"Morgan is keeping Reid talking. That was smart," Rossi said.

* * *

"_It's goin be okay Reid. I'm sure Hotch and the rest of the team are looking for us right now. We just have to hold up until they get here," Morgan said. "How bad is your head hurting?"_

"_It's alright," Reid said as he tried to wipe more blood off his nose onto his arm. "How long do you think Samantha has been dead?" Reid coughed, but he tried to hide it from Morgan by turning his head in the other direction._

"_I don't know," Morgan said. "The blood still looks wet so I'm guessing she hasn't been dead for that long." Morgan shifted his gaze from the corpse in front of him to Reid. "Hey, kid?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I'm really sorry for all of this. It's my fault we're here. I should have kept a better eye on things. I just didn't except some son of bitch would needle me from behind. It was so quiet outside, and it was hotter than hell. I kinda wish we were back outside though. It's freezing in here, and being on a leash has never been one of my fondest wishes," Morgan said tugging at his chain. "Why the hell does he have spikes on these things?"_

"_Well, I shouldn't have fallen asleep," Reid argued._

"_It was fine that you wanted to take a nap. We could have taken shifts or something, but I'm goin get both of us out here. We just gotta hang on. Are you sure your head isn't hurting? How's your stomach feeling? Where did he kick you?"_

"_I'm just cold like you are. My head is fine, and I don't think I could throw up anymore if I tried," Reid said calmly. "I'm probably going to have a bruise where he kicked me. It was underneath my ribs, but that's not a big deal."_

"_Maybe we can catch that dog thing and hold it hostage until that sicko lets us go," Morgan joked. "I don't know how else we're goin get out of here unless Hotch gets here. These chains hurt like hell. Every time I move, the little bastards cut me."_

"_That's what they were designed to do," Reid said. "We're not supposed to be moving." Reid leaned his head back against the wall. "My head is hurting. They need to hurry up."_

_

* * *

_

Prentiss felt her blood run cold. Where were they when all of this was going on? They had only been missing a few hours at this point so Prentiss was probably interviewing the neighbors for any help they could give. She was casually talking to people while Morgan and Reid were tied to a wall praying for salvation.

* * *

The pain killers that Morgan was on weren't helping much. He felt the pain coursing through his veins whenever he moved, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He wanted out of that bed as soon as possible, and he didn't like the idea of not being able to face the demon again. He wanted to see Harold on his own terms when Harold was tied up while Morgan could roam free. He wanted to show that bastard that he didn't win. He didn't succeed in murdering Morgan or Reid, and Morgan wanted nothing more than to slam Harold's head into a wall.

"Morgan, I was so scared. I thought I lost you. When I heard that you guys weren't answering your phones, I didn't know what to do," Garcia cried out.

"It's okay Garcia. You can't lose me that easy," Morgan said. Garcia's eyes were reddening behind her glasses, and he heard her stuffed up nose through her short cries. "You should know that it would take me than a man with a poodle to take me out."

"Are you sure you're okay? I saw those pictures. I've never seen you look like that before. I'm used to you guys chasing crazy people, but I don't like to see you guys hurt. And none of us knew where you were or even who had you."

"I know baby girl. I know," Morgan said. He let her cry into his chest, and he knew that this ordeal hurt a lot more than just Reid and him. It hurt the entire team, and it would be a while before any of them could recover.

"Don't leave us anymore," Garcia pleaded. "I try to act like you guys, but I can't do it. When I'm scared or upset, everyone knows but I don't care."

"It's over Garcia, and I'm fine. Bad guy is in jail, and we won," Morgan said. He wondered if Hotch was done at the house yet. He wanted to go see Harold with them. Morgan didn't care if he couldn't talk to the bastard or not. He just wanted to go, and he wanted to be there when Reid woke up. They had been through more together than most people. Morgan saw Reid in his most vulnerable position, and Reid saw him in his. He was really proud of the kid, and he wished that the rest of the team could really see how brave Reid was during their ordeal.

"I know, I know. You guys are the big brave heroes," Garcia said sniffling. She pulled away from Morgan, and Morgan's heart broke when he saw how visibly shaken she was. "I made some cookies for you and Reid. They're chocolate chip."

"Sounds delicious wonder woman," Morgan said smiling. He could smell the cookies from the basket, but he wasn't hungry anymore. He just wanted to get out of the hospital. He looked up when he heard J.J. come back in the room.

"Reid doesn't have a room yet," J.J. said. "He's still really sick."

"Why is he still sick? What's wrong with him?" Morgan asked. Reid was with Harold longer than he was, and Morgan couldn't help but blame himself over and over again for what happened. Morgan should have stayed for the extra time, not Reid.

"Some of the scratches on his back are really infected, and I guess he's still breathing too fast," she replied. J.J. looked near tears too. "The nurse will tell us when he gets a room."

"Hotch doesn't know yet, does he? He's goin wanna know about Reid," Morgan said.

* * *

Hotch had to distance himself in order to watch the tape. They weren't that far into it, and Hotch already had his fists clenched in anger for the psychopath that hurt Morgan and Reid. Hotch clenched his teeth together as Reid told Morgan that he needed to use the bathroom when there wasn't one in sight.

"Poor kid," Rossi said.

When Reid was abducted by Henkle, they weren't allowed to see every moment of the abduction. They were spared the pain that went with watching one of their own being denied basic needs like a place to use the bathroom and water to drink. In fact, Henkle did give Reid some food and water. Harold was just a nightmare.

"Harold's back," Prentiss said slowly.

Hotch focused his attention back on the screen, and tried not to look away when Harold ripped off Reid's shirt. Hotch noticed that Harold's hand stayed on Reid's chest longer than he should have, and he could almost feel Reid's heart pounding against in his chest in fear. His ankles were bleeding against the chains, but then Harold got up rather abruptly. It only took a second for Hotch to notice that the kid's pants were wet, and Hotch easily put two and two together. Harold smashed his foot between Reid's legs, and Hotch cringed just watching. Every man knew or thought they knew what that pain felt like and it wasn't good. Reid screamed, and curled up in a little ball to help the pain go away. Harold unhooked Reid from the wall and dragged him over to the table. Prentiss turned away, and Rossi tried to divert his attention, but Hotch watched as Reid was tortured with the cat's claw. Reid fell unconscious after Harold pushed him off the table, but Hotch was grateful that his phone was buzzing in his pocket. He was able to turn away just as Harold got out a whip to beat Morgan with.

"Hotch."

"Yeah, Hotch, it's J.J."

"What is it?" Hotch looked back at the screen, and tried to block out Morgan's pained voice as he tried to reason with Harold.

"Reid is still in critical condition. The nurse didn't sound worried, but I didn't think he would be there that long. I thought he'd be awake by now," J.J. said quietly.

"Okay, we'll be heading back there soon," Hotch said. He didn't know what else to say. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew the condition that the youngest on his team was and it wasn't good.

"How are the tapes?" J.J. asked.

"Be happy you're not here," Hotch said. He looked back at the screen as saw Harold taking pictures of Morgan and Reid. He knew those were the pictures that were sent to him. "I'll tell you when we're leaving," Hotch said. He hung up the phone and sat back down. For the first time during the tape, another person entered the room with Morgan and Reid.

"That's Markus!" Prentiss exclaimed.

They watched him carefully take off Morgan's shirt, but he left the room without harming either one of the agents. He actually looked scared to even be in the room. He mopped up the blood around Samantha, and then he took her with him when he left. Morgan and Reid never woke up when he was there.

"He wasn't an accomplice then," Rossi concluded. "Harold must have paid him extra or something to help with the victims. He looked scared to death up there, and he kept looking at Morgan like he thought he was going to wake up."

"Who called?" Prentiss asked.

Hotch looked at her, but he couldn't be stern now. All of them had to work together now to make sure that Harold never saw the light of day again.

"It was J.J. She just said that Reid still hasn't been moved to a room yet. He's still sick, and she is worried about him," Hotch said. He bent down and fast forwarded through the parts where his agents were unconscious against the walls. He pressed play when he saw Reid start to move around. All three of them were silent as they listened to Morgan and Reid trying to work on the case from their prison, and Hotch saw a tear fall from Prentiss' face when Reid told Morgan that he really was scared. Hotch knew that he was guilty of babying Reid almost as much as Garcia did, and Hotch would have given anything to be in Reid's place.

* * *

"_I'm scared," Reid slowly said. "I'm really scared." Reid had his knees against his chest to keep himself warm, but his skin was abnormally white._

"_Don't worry pretty boy. We're going to get out of here," Morgan replied. _

"_There are no survivors that we know about of and there is no way out," Reid almost whispered. He looked frantically at the door when both of them heard it creaking. _

_

* * *

_

Hotch wanted to feel better when Harold came in the room, and helped Morgan sit down so he wouldn't have all that pressure on his arms, but he couldn't. He felt nothing but hatred towards Harold, and the more he watched of the tape, the more he couldn't wait to personally meet with the man who tried to kill two of his friends. Hotch watched Harold completely ignore Morgan after he helped him sit down, and the look in Harold's eyes told Hotch was his intentions were. Reid desperately tried to get the older man off of him, but Harold somehow got rid of Reid's belt and was guiding his hand underneath Reid's boxers. Hotch saw a small needle out of the corner of his eye, and he figured that was how Harold got so far without much of a struggle from the young doctor.

While they could no longer see the details of what was happening to their youngest agent, his face told them everything. Hotch bit on his tongue to keep from raging out at the television screen.

* * *

"_Please. Please Harold, stop! Morgan!" Reid cried. He was turning his hips in any direction possible, but it wasn't even budging the heavier man on top of him. _

"_It seems to me that you are rather enjoying this Doctor Reid," Harold said. _

"_I can't help it!" Reid cried out. Tears were streaming down his pale face, and he kept glancing over at Morgan for help. "It's a physical reaction which is something I have no control over like when a piece of dust gets in someone's nose and they sneeze." Reid's face was a mixture of terror and pleasure, and his breathing was getting heavier by the second. His head fell back as Harold pushed his body against Reid's. Morgan's cries went unheard in the background. _

"_Doctor Reid, how do you feel about Mozart? I do know that he is sometimes overrated, but I think he was a wonderful composer. Imagine meeting a man like that. I don't think I'd be able to ever sleep again if I could have met that man. Wonderful really." Harold paused for a moment before he pulled his hands out of Reid's pants. Even from the camera's position, it was obvious that Harold's hands were wet. Reid's mouth was wide open as he gasped for breath and sweat ran down from his matted hair. Harold bent down to touch Reid's hair when Reid's eyes rolled back into his head. _

_

* * *

_

"I can't watch anymore," Prentiss suddenly said. She stood up, and turned away from the screen.

"Are you feeling alright?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah, but I just don't think he would want me seeing this. I mean, I know what's going to happen next. The doctor told us what that sicko did to him. I don't need to watch it."

"I don't think he would want any of us to see this," Rossi said.

Hotch stood up next to them, but he turned back to the television when Markus came back into the scene. Markus pulled off Reid's brown pants followed by the kid's boxers. Hotch felt a lump get stuck in his throat as Reid was fully exposed, and he had a sudden urge to ram his fist into a wall. Reid didn't deserve any of this, and even though Markus looked scared to death, he was just as much to blame as Harold was.

* * *

"_Sir?" Morgan called out from the wall when he slowly opened his eyes to see Markus. "Oh my God. Please help us man. My friend's hurt."_

_Markus held tightly onto Reid's clothing and looked from Morgan over to Reid. _

"_Please. We're FBI agents, both of us. If you could just let the kid go," Morgan said when he finally looked over at Reid. His eyes bulged out of his head when he saw that Reid was naked, and he suddenly started tearing at the chains on the wall. "What the hell? Where did his clothes go? Please help us. Please man!" Morgan cried out. _

_Markus backed into the shadows of the room and ran out without saying a single word._

_

* * *

_

Hotch turned off the television. This was too much for any of them to watch, and Hotch also knew what was to come. Prentiss was crying, and Rossi looked upset. Hotch was going to press for the death penalty. They had more than enough evidence in Harold's house, and the fact that they found him eating another man only strengthened their case.

"Let's take a break," Hotch offered. They had just stepped out of the room when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket again.

"Hotch."

"Hello Agent Hotchner. It's Officer Taylor down at the station. Um, we have a problem."

"What?" Hotch stopped in his track which startled Prentiss and Rossi. "What's wrong? Where's Harold?"

"He's still back in his cell. He needs a new guard though. The last one he had, a big guy, won't go back there," the cop said.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Well, other than there's a mob getting bigger outside, Harold's parents are also here. I don't know how all these people found out."

"Okay, we're on our way. What do his parents want?" Hotch led the way outside with Prentiss and Rossi at his tail to listen to the conversation.

"They are trying to bail him out."

_so this is chapter 34 and im here and your there and harold is behind you...ahhh! no, im just lonely...hahahhaa. actually, not lonely. just putting off homework so if you are like me and are putting off hw, review! and you are really you, then you should review too. only if you are really you though_


	35. Chapter 35

_interesting chapter. sorry for the delay again. things keep happening in my life that i have no control over and for some reason, that effects my writing time. i think things are starting to slow down though so i might get the next chapter up sooner. its already all planned out. it just needs to be written down. anyways, on with the story and on with creepy harold_

Rossi tried to cover up his head as he made his way through the crowd of people outside the police station. People were everywhere holding up signs and shouting obscenities at him as he tried to pass them. He saw teenage girls wearing provocative clothing as they begged with officers to let them inside, and then he saw parents of the victims with murder written across their faces. Rossi knew that he should be used to idiotic people flocking outside, but it was hard to watch all the young girls rooting for Harold's release. Didn't they realize that Harold would kill all of them if he was given the chance? One girl threw herself at Rossi when he was trying to walk by. She had printed out a picture of Harold, and pasted it to the poster board she was holding. Rossi guessed she couldn't be any more than sixteen years old.

"Please, let me in to see him. I love him!"

Rossi lightly pushed the girl away from him, and looked around for Prentiss and Hotch who were closer to the door than he was, but they seemed to be having similar problems of their own.

"Honey, go home. Don't you have homework to do?"

"I won't even go back to school until you release him," she threatened. "He has done nothing wrong!"

Rossi looked back at Hotch and Prentiss and saw that they were going to need assistance more than he was. They were bombarded with both supporters of Harold and people who wanted to go in there to kill Harold themselves.

"He's not what you think he is. I've been doing this job probably longer than you have been alive, and I have never seen anyone like Harold before. He's the face of evil. He doesn't care about anyone else or what other people are feeling," Rossi said. He knew that Harold loved that dog too, but he wasn't going to mention that to her. She needed to go home.

"I know exactly what he is. He is a very handsome man who was arrested because you don't think the same as him."

Rossi wanted to tell her the details of the murders more than anything. He wanted to tell her that he raped the victims before he murdered them. He wanted to tell her that a boy who really wasn't much older than her almost died before they got him to the hospital. He wanted to tell her that when they found Harold he was eating one of his servants, but he couldn't.

"I'm not leaving here until all of you release him!" she told him. "I love him, and I'll do anything to get him back out here with us."

"Do you even know him?" Rossi asked. He didn't remember seeing the girl at the party. In fact, he didn't remember seeing most of these people at the party.

"He knows me in spirit," she said lamely. Rossi guessed that with the news of Harold's arrest, his picture was plastered all over the internet. Young girls saw how handsome he was, and that he did come from a wealthy family. For some reason, that was enough to send them into the heat to protest his arrest. Rossi put his hand on the girl's shoulder and looked into her eyes.

"Sweetie, if it was up to me, Harold would never see the light of day again," Rossi told her. He saw the anger flare up in her eyes, and then she backed into the group of people. Almost on cue, all of them started yelling and shouting again. It seemed louder than the first time. He took this moment as a chance for escape, and he hurried into the station. He thought that Prentiss and Hotch beat him inside, but then he saw Prentiss almost drowning into the angry crowd. Hotch was helping to pull her out, and Rossi sent two officers out to calm down the people. By the time all three of them were safely inside, it looked like they were survivors of a tornado.

"Are you guys alright?" Hotch asked.

Rossi watched Prentiss pull her hair out of her face, and had to ignore a rip in his shirt from the people outside.

"Fine. They are crazy out there!" Prentiss complained.

Rossi was about to join in on the complaints when he saw a couple standing by the front desk. The woman had her dark hair wrapped in a bun, and the gentleman next to her had his hair slicked back. It was obvious by what they were wearing that they were wealthy. Rossi didn't think he had seen so many jewels on one person before, and the shoes the man was wearing didn't look like they had ever been worn out of the house yet.

"What do you mean I can't bail my son out?" the woman yelled.

"I don't think we're out of the woods yet," Rossi guessed. The three of them walked over to the couple, but the couple took no notice of them.

"Ma'am, he is being charged with murder. We can't just let him go," the officer meekly said.

"How much is this place worth," the lady asked looking around. Rossi noted the dark make up she was wearing, and the way that she carried herself was almost of royalty. "I'll offer you double you the cost of this station. I'll triple it. How much?"

Hotch finally broke in the conversation, and stood between the couple and the desk.

"You are Harold's mother?"

"Yes, my name is Olivia and this is my husband, Victor. Who may I ask are you?"

"I am special agent Aaron Hotchner, and these are agents Rossi and Prentiss," Hotch said. Rossi stood next to Hotch, and looked over the couple. Rossi would never have guessed that they were angry other than the tone in Olivia's voice.

"I want my son released this instant. He is probably scared to death in that cell, and I am sure he would just like to go home with his parents."

"He is not a child anymore, and he is in a lot of trouble," Hotch began.

"When we found him, ma'am, he was eating another person and he had one of our agents bleeding to death in his room," Rossi said quickly. He hated not being able to reason with people, and he knew that parents would do nearly anything to protect their child, but this was ridiculous.

"Did you ever actually see him kill someone?" Olivia asked.

"He was EATING someone! We found him eating another man!" Rossi nearly shouted.

"You have no proof of that whatsoever. What if he was just trying to save that other man? Harold studied medicines when was younger, and he was always very interested in the human body. He was probably just trying to help that other person. Harold would never hurt a fly," his mother argued.

"Well, we do have several tapes that were recorded from Harold's house," Prentiss said calmly.

"We just want our son back," the father finally said. Rossi noted that his father was an older man, but he was in good shape physically and he was probably still a looker with the ladies. "We lost our other son due to a tragic accident, and we don't want anything to happen to our Harold. He is a good boy. I am sure that all of this is a big misunderstanding."

"Sir, we understand your pain. We do," Rossi said, "but we cannot just release your son back out into the public. When we found him, he really was eating the flesh off another person. He's a danger to himself and to everyone around him."

"Like I said, what is this building worth?" Olivia asked. "I'm not going to let my son stay in jail like some common criminal. It's not going to happen. Did you know that I could easily let every single one of you lose your jobs? Don't mess with me."

Hotch leaned forward towards her, and looked her straight in the eye.

"Then don't mess with us. I am not allowing your son to be released on bail," Hotch said.

With that, he turned and made his way towards the jail cells. Rossi always loved how Hotch handled situations, but he knew that this wasn't going to be the last time they had to deal with the mommy and daddy of the sexual psychopath.

"Hotch?" Prentiss called out once they were away from the front room. "What are we going to do about them? I don't think they're going to go away."

"I don't know yet," Hotch said as he weaved his way through the different cell rooms.

"They can't bail Harold out, right?"

"I'll sit here all night if I have to. I'm afraid one of the officers will give in and do something stupid. Harold isn't going to go anywhere," Hotch replied.

Rossi had no doubt that Hotch would sleep in the jail all night just to make sure Harold never got out of his cell.

"I'm more afraid of their lawyers than I am of them," Rossi commented. He really was too. He knew how wealthy people could afford lawyers that had the power to get Satan out of charges for murder if they had to.

They stopped at another desk which was entry to the cells in the back of the building. Harold had one of those cells all to himself. Hotch signed in his name without even glancing at the guard, and the three of them made their way back to see the face of the devil.

* * *

Garcia could barely contain her excitement at actually being in the same room with Morgan again. She didn't think that she would ever get used to him not being on his feet, but she loved being with him all again. The world was going to continue spinning as far as she was concerned, but it wouldn't be fully right again until they were all together.

"Let's see what they have playing on T.V.," Garcia said. She stood up, and started flipping through the channels. She was trying her best to lighten the mood, but it was hard with all of the nurses rushing between rooms, and she knew that all of them were praying that their frantic steps weren't towards Reid's room.

"I don't think I want to watch something you pick out woman. I'm just getting a vibe that you're goin pick out something with singing chipmunks or sparkling vampires," Morgan complained.

"What have you got against vampires that twinkle?" asked J.J. with a smirk on her face.

"Aw, come on now. Don't join up against me. This isn't fair with me stuck in this stupid bed!"

Garcia laughed with J.J. when Morgan started pouting. She purposely skipped every news station that passed the screen. She knew what all of them were talking about, and that is not something that any of them wanted to hear about. They had to live it.

"Excuse me, agents?"

Garcia hated being referred to as an agent, especially in the hospital setting. That only meant that something was wrong, and what could be worse than her two special boys sleeping in a hospital at night? She felt her face get pale. Something already came to mind what could be worse. J.J. stood up to great the nurse at the door.

"Yes? Is everything alright?" J.J. asked.

Garcia moved closer to the bed to be near Morgan. He needed to protect her from any bad news. She couldn't take much more.

"Well, nothing is really wrong, but there's a bit of chaos outside the hospital."

"What do you mean?" J.J. asked after looking back at Morgan and Garcia.

"There are photographers and reporters outside. I didn't tell them anything, but they somehow knew that the agents are being cared for here. They're getting pushier too. We aren't talking to them, but I'm afraid of them getting inside. There's just so many. We don't know what to do so we thought we'd ask you," the nurse nervously said. She kept looking over her shoulder which caused Garcia to think that the hospital would soon be taken over by the media.

"I'll handle it," J.J. said. "Come with me Garcia. I might need some help."

J.J. followed the nurse out of the room, and Garcia squeezed Morgan's hand before she slowly followed. She didn't really want to go face the media. She never really had to do that before. That was always left for the others while she got to sit in the safety of her big chair. She barely turned the corner away from Morgan's room when she heard a commotion. She sped up her pace to keep up with J.J. and was almost blinded when an array of flashes went off in her face. She heard about fifty people shouting at her to look their direction, and she couldn't tell where one voice ended and the other began.

"Ma'am, is it true that the missing agents have been found and that they are in critical condition? What is the extent of their injuries?"

"Is it true that one of them has lost a leg?"

"How much was really eaten off the younger agent? We have confirmations that half of his face is gone."

Garcia wanted to turn around, and hide behind Morgan's closed door. These people were scaring her more than most of the psychopaths she had to research on a daily basis. At least they knew there was something wrong with them. These reporters really had no idea how horrible they were acting. They didn't seem to care that Harold had brutally tortured, raped, and murdered most of his victims. These people were acting like it was just a game. That made Garcia sick.

J.J. was doing a mastery job at ushering all of the freaks back outside and away from the other patients in the hospital. Garcia couldn't even make out what J.J. was telling them because of all the commotion. Whatever she was saying most be like gold to the media's ears. Garcia hoped she was telling him that Reid hadn't been eaten and that was horrible to even think of that.

She was almost too busy ranting inside her own mind to see a photographer sneak past the group and wander deeper into the hospital. She caught him out of the corner of her eye, and she tried to tell J.J. that she was going to follow the sneaky kitten, but J.J. was already gone. Garcia decided to take it upon herself to find that little nosy penguin with a camera and give him a piece of her mind. She turned the corner where she saw him go, but she couldn't see him at all. He had somehow blended in the jumble of the nurses who were hard at work. She tried to scurry past them, but she was having a difficult job trying to keep out of their way. Where did that guy think he was going? She gasped when the realization hit her. He was trying to find Morgan and Reid.

She hurried to Morgan's room, and ran in the open door to find that sneaky cameraman, but he wasn't there.

"What's wrong baby girl?" Morgan asked.

"Did you see a guy with a camera come through here?"

"No, why?"

She dashed out of the room without answering Morgan. She knew how totally rude that was, but she knew the photographer needed pictures for his paper or his blog or maybe his secret bulletins on a social networking cite, but she needed to find him. She had been turning corners and running down hallway for just over five minutes when she realized that she didn't know where Reid's room even was.

"Excuse me, nurse?" Garcia asked going up to a woman with her nose in her notepad.

"Yes?"

"Where is Agent Reid's room at?"

"He's the one who was still pretty sick, right? I think they still have him in critical care which is right down this way," the nurse said pointing down another hallway.

Garcia didn't respond to her, but she actually started running down the hallway. Garcia was out of breath before she got to the quiet hallway that she guessed belonged to Reid. She couldn't be angrier at herself for wearing heels that day, and she made a mental note to take them off when she got back to Morgan's room. When she turned the corner, she saw that fishy photographer out with his camera pointed into one of the rooms. She saw the camera flash, and she felt rage building up inside of her. How could someone actually take a picture of someone else's pain?

"Sir?" she asked, but he ignored her completely and started flashing his camera like crazy. She tripped over a crack in the floor as she hurried to get up to him, but he didn't take any notice.

"Sir? I'm going to ask you to leave the hospital now," Garcia said more sternly when she got closer to him. "Sir?"

She couldn't believe he was flat out ignoring her.

"Sir, I am Penelope Garcia with the FBI and I'm going to have to confiscate your camera and ask you to kindly leave the hospital," Garcia said in her most stern voice possible.

This time, the photographer did turn around. He measured her up and down, and before she could get in another word, he fled. He turned another corner, and he was out of her sight in a matter of seconds. She considered chasing after him until she looked in the window where he had his camera aimed, and she saw Reid for the first time since his abduction. The two nurses in the room didn't notice her peaking in, and she didn't really want to make herself known. Reid was sleeping on his side with all kinds of tubes and wires connecting him to strange machines by his bedside. All she could really see was the back of his head, but she was happy to see that his hair was brushed.

"They're getting ready to move him to an actual room," a kind voice said.

Garcia turned around and saw the doctor standing only a few feet from her. He was also looking in the room at sleeping Reid.

"One of the nurses told me that he did wake up once, but it was only for a few moments. He is getting better though. I'm confident that he will make a full recovery," Meyer said. "Was that another photographer?"

"There's been more? Why haven't you told us until now?" Garcia demanded.

"Most of them have been claiming to visit relatives, and they have their cameras hidden in their bags. I've managed to get rid a lot of them before they get here, but I'm afraid that several magazines have Agent Reid's picture," he said slowly.

Garcia knew how angry that Hotch would be once he found out, but she was more concerned about how Reid would feel if he ever found out. She looked back at the sleeping angel, and the only thoughts that filled her mind were of happier times with the young agent. Despite his sometimes annoying knowledge about every topic available, she didn't know what she would do without him.

"But I was coming to find you to tell you something else," Meyer continued.

"How did you know I would be here? I didn't even know I would be here."

"Well, I went over to Agent Morgan's room and he told me that you went out to chase away the paparazzi. I saw the other agent was getting bombarded by the reporters, and so I figured that you must be over here since you were not with her."

She knew that it was super rude not to look at somebody when they talked, but she couldn't bear to take her eyes away from Reid. She hadn't seen him in so long. She wasn't there when they found him in that evil house, and she wasn't even close to him during his numerous surgeries. The last time she saw him was those photographs that she was forced to look at. She had to blink back a tear remembering the pus all over his back and her dark hero clinging to consciousness.

"Agent?"

Had the doctor been talking to her, and she wasn't listening? She slowly tore her eyes away from Reid when the nurses started to look over his bandages. She imagined that they were checking him over before they moved him.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm listening."

"Someone claiming to be Agent Reid's father has been calling up here quite consistently. He has been demanding to know what the agent's condition is, and where exactly he is being kept. I didn't tell him because I am not going around discussing my patient's matters. It could be another sneaky reporter for all I know, and I hate them. What the boy is going through in there is between me and him, and of course, the rest of his team."

"His father has been calling?" Garcia heard herself say. She couldn't believe that he would have the nerve or even the decency to find out what happened to Reid. She was positive that Reid hadn't talked to him since the incident, and the only reason the older man wanted in his son's life was because Reid almost died.

"Someone claiming to be his father. Like I said, I don't know. The media released reports that both of the agents are being held here, and the man on the phone said that he was on his way here now. He should be here shortly."

Garcia turned back to look at Reid who was now rolled over onto his stomach. His hospital gown was open in the back, and Garcia saw red marks almost glowing through the white bandages. They were covering most of his back, and she felt a lump get caught in her throat. She didn't even see the nurse walk through the doorway.

"Doctor? Would you like to look over him now?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," Meyer answered. "Miss, maybe you should go tell the others about Mr. Reid calling or that Agent Reid's picture will soon be in several newspapers."

Garcia nodded, but she couldn't say anything. She was having a hard time attaching the bloody bandages to Reid. It just couldn't be him underneath all of that. It couldn't. She was sure that she wouldn't turn away until the doctor lowered down the curtains which blocked her view. She started questioning why they didn't have the curtains down the whole time when she saw there were several holes in the old cloth. That wouldn't have held the photographers back. She took a deep breath, and went to tell Morgan and J.J. about what she learned.

* * *

Harold felt his stomach growling, and he couldn't help but wondering when they were going to bring him something to eat. He knew that it wouldn't be right to be so demanding when he was nothing more than a guest, but he hated the feeling of his stomach being empty. He was craving meat. He would have to ask the next guard when meal time was. He felt a little bit bad inside for scaring Tubby away, but there would soon be a new one to replace him.

"Hey you," a light voice growled from the other side of the bars. Harold politely looked up at the strange man and smiled. This man was much skinnier than the first, and his uniform fell over his frail body like a bag wrapped around a tree for the winter. In a way, this reminded Harold of Reid. He missed his young companion, and he couldn't wait to see him again.

"Is it supper time already? My oh my, how time goes by. Doesn't it?"

"What are you talking about? They told me you were cooky."

"Cooky?" The younger people would never cease to amaze him. He loved them all to death, but he just wished that he could keep up with all the terms they kept coming up with. He knew that he would have to join one of those social networking cites soon enough. He wondered if Reid had one. Harold would have to look him up once he got back home.

"Weird. Strange. Some of the older guys were all telling me not to look into your eyes. They don't look so strange to me," he said peering through the bars.

"Why thank you. That is very kind. I was always told that my eyes were one of my best features," Harold said smiling.

"Some FBI agents came to talk to you."

"Did you get their names by any chance?" Harold had a very small hope that Reid had come back to him, but it wasn't likely. If the boy did come back to him, it wouldn't be this soon. He needed time to rest up and gather his strength. Harold had to plan something special for their first night back together. What would they eat? Ham maybe. Harold always favored ham.

"No, I didn't. There's three of them. I'm going to escort you to the meeting room. I'm just going to need you to cooperate with me," the young officer said.

"Anything for you…I didn't seem to catch you name," Harold said. He just hated not knowing people's names. A name was a part of a person, a way to tell them apart from everyone else, and Harold liked to see if the name fit the person.

"Jacob," he said as he opened up the cell gates. Harold decided to help the kid out. It seemed like it was his first time in a jail, and Harold knew that could be a terrifying experience for someone so young. Harold let himself get handcuffed, but he was more reluctant when a second officer came out of nowhere to cuff his feet together. That was completely unnecessary.

As Jacob and the unnamed officer led the way to the meeting room, Harold had a rather difficult time trying to keep up with him his ankles tied together. It was a horrid experience that he never wanted to go through again.

"I think he needs a muzzle," the unnamed officer told Jacob. "I heard he was found eating some other dude."

"Excuse me," Harold said. He stopped his steps, and was going to refuse to take another step until he was acknowledged. "What did you just say?"

The two officers turned around, and Harold stared at the rude fellow who suggested that Harold was tied up like a dog. He wasn't a canine. He didn't need a leash.

"I said, I think you need a muzzle!"

"I am terribly sorry, but did you hear me bark while I was back in that cell room?" Harold asked. He wanted to attack that officer right then and there, but that would seem rather rude in front of Jacob. He had to keep his manners or Jacob wouldn't want to be his friend anymore. He did take a step toward the officer which frightened both of them. He could tell that much when they took a step back. Even though they were both armed, they were still afraid of him. He found it terribly interesting. He would have taken it further if he didn't see the three agents walk by in the hallway in front of him. He remembered all three of them. They were the ones who interrupted his play date with Reid. They were the ones who took Reid away.

"I sure heard you growl like a rabid beast!"

"Gentlemen, as much as I am enjoying this chat right now, I do think it would be a good idea to get on our way. Don't you think? We have places to go, and people to meet," Harold said with a smile. He needed to see the boy again.

_so basically, the next chapter will be pure awesomness. reid will FINALLY wake up, hotch gets to talk with harold, reids dad is brought into the picture, and they still have to deal with the evil media who is having a field day with a serial killer who almost killed two agents. so one two, theyre coming for you. three four, better lock your door. five six, get your crucifix. seven eight, better stay up late. nine ten, harolds back again! and poor little timothy wants you to comment so he might have an appearence in the next chapter. do it for the doggy!_


	36. Chapter 36

_so this chapter is dedicated to 68luvcarter who has been one of the most loyal readers of this story, and her birthday is this Monday so yay! HAPPY BIRTHAY! so this chapter kinda wrote itself. i had the ideas of course, but i was putting it off. i finally sat down to it today and it kinda just all came out nicely so good. the media is kinda becoming a bigger bad guy than harold himself. im not sure how that happened but i can totally see them going nuts over morgan and reid. so yay?_

J.J. thought she was used to all of the media by now. She was used to dealing with them on a daily basis, but they were never like this before. These people were demanding, threatening, and they weren't afraid of J.J. Most of the time, reporters cowered and listened to every word she said, but not this time. Several of them actually tried to sneak past her while she was talking. She couldn't believe it. Harold was like a gold charm to them. He was the only thing that was on the news because people wanted to know about the handsome man who ate people.

"We will be doing our best to keep the public updated, but the suspect has been arrested," J.J. said loudly enough so everyone could hear her.

"Have the two agents died in the hospital?" someone called out.

"What?" J.J. asked. She couldn't believe this. Where were they getting this information? "They are not dead."

"It'd be a better story if one of them did die…" someone else mumbled. "Which one was in worst condition? The younger one? Is he close to dying?"

J.J. had to bite her tongue to keep out from lashing out at that man. She tried to find which one said those words, but it was hard to tell any single voice apart from the crowd.

"Who just said that? Get over here now!" J.J. yelled. She took that comment very seriously, and she was going to get that man in jail. Anyone wishing for Reid's death deserved nothing less. Of course, no one stepped forward. The camera flashing was blinding her, and she couldn't get them to quiet up.

"What is being done about the riots by the police station?"

"How many bodies were found at the house? Is it in the 100s?"

"Is it true that Harold was shot many times, but he didn't fall down?"

J.J. was getting a headache, and she was sick of no one listening to her. Where was Garcia? She looked around but couldn't see her friend anywhere. She hoped Garcia wasn't lost in the mess.

"No more questions," J.J. announced. She ducked into the safety of the hospital, but she knew that wouldn't keep the press away for long. They were going to come back. They always did, but she had never felt so bad after a press conference before. How could somebody actually wish for another person's death just for a stupid news story? If she told them about who Reid really was, and how he was a gentle soul who would never hurt a soul, they would have wanted him to die faster. American loved nothing more than a tragic tale.

"There you are," Garcia called out to her.

J.J. found Garcia standing in front of a television in the waiting room. She was eagerly flipping through the channels.

"What are you doing? I asked you to come out there and help me. They're vultures Garcia. One of them was actually wishing that Reid would die so they'd have a good cover story," J.J. complained. She sat down on a chair, but kept a close eye on the entrance. She was expecting for one or two of them to start sneaking in at any moment.

"Look at this," Garcia said motioning towards the television.

J.J. slowly looked up at the big television, and saw a picture of Reid in the hospital. While the photo was taken from behind, she could see blood seeping through the bandages.

"Oh my God," J.J. whispered.

Garcia turned off the television, and sat down next to her.

"They are on all the channels, and that isn't the only picture they have. They have some of his face, and I have no idea how they got them. I found one, but he ran away before I took his camera. They're moving Reid to a room now, but we can't let him see these pictures," Garcia said. "My poor baby is so hurt already. He doesn't need anymore."

J.J. stood up and pulled her phone out her pocket. If it took all night, she was going to get those pictures off the television. They had no right to sneak in a hospital, and take a picture of an unconsciousness man without any permission or consent.

"And one more little thing," Garcia continued.

"What? Morgan is still alright, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Well, he's mad at me about the nail polish thing, but he's good. Reid's dad has been calling. I guess he found out that Reid is at this hospital, and he's on his way down here."

"What does he want?" J.J. asked. She didn't think that Reid was in contact with his father at all. He never mentioned anything about his dad.

"Maybe he just wants to see his son again?" Garcia asked hopefully.

Why was all this happening at once? It was supposed to calm down after they found the boys, but it seemed like they were on a never ending roller coaster ride. J.J. just wanted a long vacation away from everything.

"Okay, I'll call Hotch after I get Reid's picture off of the daily news. I don't think it's a good idea though for Reid's dad to be here. Does he know about what Reid has been through?" J.J. asked. She hadn't been watching the news for a long time. She had no idea what those reporters were telling everyone about Harold and what he did to his victims.

"I don't know. The doctor has been telling all the nurses not to tell him anything because they don't even know if it Reid's dad or some stupid photographer guy, but the news has been making up all kinds of stories," Garcia said.

"Tell me about it," J.J. replied. She sat back down on the chair. Standing wasn't doing any good except for waking her up more which was making her angrier at the situation.

"I've only been watching this for like 5 minutes, but they are coming up with all kinds of things. This one lady is saying that Morgan lost both of his legs, and Reid is suffering from extreme brain damage. Where did she come up with that? It's horrible!"

"Well, that explains Reid's dad coming all the way over here to check on his son. I'll call Hotch after I call a few of these stations. Reid's picture needs to be taken off now," J.J. said.

* * *

Hotch couldn't get to the meeting room fast enough. He was trying to think up things to say in his head as he was walking, but he knew it was useless. The only thing he would end up remembering is those photos that Harold sent to them, and how much he wanted to put Harold's head on a stick. That's all he deserved. His mind was still buzzing with the possibilities of what to tell Harold's parents that would make them leave, but he would have to concentrate on that later. Prentiss agreed to wait outside the room in case Hotch needed anything, but Rossi wanted to talk to Harold with him.

Hotch got to the room before Harold did, but he was slightly disappointed to already see two lawyers sitting across him by the table. Both of them had very thick folders sitting in front of them, and from the looks of it, they had seen many trials. Harold was already seated in between them, and Hotch watched the socialite examine the two lawyers. They were slowly becoming uncomfortable, and Harold saw a small smile form in Harold's lips.

"This guy is creeping me out more and more," Prentiss said softly.

"He's going to end up with no lawyers if he keeps giving the nightmares," Rossi added.

"I'm going in as soon as the tapes get here," Hotch said. He looked back at Harold, and he tried to think back to another unsub like Harold, but there wasn't anyone. He remembered Frank was something different, but Frank was no comparison to Harold. He almost wished that Gideon was back by his side. He had a way of dealing with the craziest of people, but Gideon was gone. Hotch had to face Harold, and he still wasn't sure what he was going to say. He didn't know if any words could prevent him from strangling Harold right then and there.

"I'm coming with you," Rossi said. "There's no reason to talk to that guy alone."

"I'll wait out here so if you guys need anything, I'm right outside the door. Got Garcia on speed dial too so if you need anything looked up, consider me on it," Prentiss said.

"Let's wait until the tapes get here," Hotch finally said. He wasn't going any there without something that could be used to slam Harold down a notch. Those tapes would be Harold's death sentence. They didn't really need any other evidence, but the upstairs rooms in his house along with the bloody tools Harold used would still help the case all the same. What lawyer in the right mind would sign up to defend Harold? He wondered how much the lawyers knew about the case, and about what Harold actually did to his victims. Hotch was sure that the blood of Morgan and Reid were still glued to some of those tools. Two of his agents were still suffering in a hospital because of what that psychopath did to them.

"I don't think making him wait is going to make him nervous," Prentiss noted.

They looked inside the room, and saw that Harold was smiling pleasantly. If anything, the two lawyers were looking more nervous as the minutes passed. Harold's parents probably paid a handsome price for the two lawyers to help their son, but Hotch just wondered how long they would really last.

"It's almost mean to make those two men sit there," Rossi said smiling. "I think the younger one is going to wet his pants, and when he does, I'm not cleaning it up."

"Actually, this is a pretty good show," Prentiss said. "I kinda wanna place bets on which one you think will last longer."

Hotch knew that a little comedy would release some of the stress that his agents were holding inside, but Hotch couldn't bring himself to smile. The only thing he wanted in the world was for the man in that room to suffer the most horrible death imaginable. He deserved nothing less.

* * *

Garcia sulked back to Morgan's room while J.J. sat in the waiting room to make her phone calls, and make sure the press didn't sneak back in. Why were her babies being put through this? Even as she passed rooms of other patients, she could hear the news reporters talking about Morgan and Reid on almost every channel. What hurt her more than anything was that the media thought this was just a show. It didn't matter who lived and who died, just as long as they could make some money off of it. How could people be so cruel to one another?

She thought back to the image that was burned into her memory of Reid sleeping on the hospital bed. What was going to happen to her little angel when he finally woke up? She knew that one of his biggest fears was inheriting the disease that forced his mother into a mental home. It seemed like just yesterday that he quietly told her that schizophrenia was passed down genetically, and he was the only child in the small family. Garcia didn't tell anyone else about their conversation, but there wasn't a day that went by that she didn't remember it. Reid got through his ordeal with Henkle with nightmares that still plagued his dreams at night, but the experience he suffered through with Harold was worse. Garcia was probably more of afraid than Reid was of what was to happen when he opened his brown eyes again.

She tried to wipe any worry off her face when she got back to Morgan's room, but it was hard to think happy thoughts when her boys were trapped in a hospital after having to live through hell on earth. She wasn't surprised to see the door still open, and she took a deep breath before walking inside. She had to think happy thoughts just to keep Morgan feeling happy.

"Oh my God, Garcia, did you see that guy?" Morgan shouted the second she got in the room. His feet were dangling off the bed, and it looked like he was attempting to get into the wheelchair. He probably would have succeeded if he wasn't hooked up to an IV.

"What guy?"

"There was this bastard with a camera. He came into my room, and he was trying to act like a nurse or something when he whipped a camera out of his man purse thing," Morgan said in a single breath. "He started snapping all of these pictures. You didn't see him?"

"No, I didn't. Did he actually get your picture?" Garcia asked. She looked back out in the hallway with a small hope that she would see the man with the camera, but all she saw were nurses and doctors with their noses buried in clipboards.

"He got like ten pictures of me. What is going on out there Garcia?"

Garcia sat down by the chair next to him. She was no good at lying, and she didn't see any reason to start now.

"There's like a million camera people outside the hospital right now. They've been sneaking in all day to get pictures of you and Reid. J.J. is beyond upset that the doctor didn't tell us sooner, but she's working on getting your pictures off the news," Garcia said.

"They already have our pictures on the news? What the hell?"

"I'm so sorry Morgan. I don't know what to do. I'm trying to help, but I don't know what else to do. I had to chase some idiot who was taking pictures of Reid, but I don't think that's going to stop more from coming," Garcia cried out. She was getting physically upset. She was really trying to help, and to get her closest friends into the imaginary world of her own mind, but it was getting more and more difficult with real problems dragging her back down to the world.

"It's okay baby girl. I'm not blaming you for anything," Morgan said quietly. He leaned back into the bed, but Garcia knew he was only doing that to calm her down. She didn't care. She was just grateful that he was back, and that their family was together again.

* * *

Hotch only had to wait a few minutes for the tapes to be brought to him. He thanked the officer who brought them, and looked down at the box. The tape of Morgan and Reid sat on the top of the pile. He nodded at Prentiss and Rossi that he was going in when another box of tapes was brought inside.

"Um, officer?" Rossi asked. "How many boxes of tapes are there?"

The officer looked down at the two boxes, and then back at Rossi.

"There's at least 15 boxes sir. We didn't know which ones you wanted so we brought them all."

"That's enough," Hotch said. He picked up the first box, and nodded at Rossi to follow him. It was silent when he walked into the room. He took his seat across from Harold, and put the box of tapes by his feet. Rossi sat next to Hotch, but they didn't look at each other. Both of them had their eyes fixed on Harold. Harold didn't look much different that from when they saw him last. His hair wasn't slicked back, but there still wasn't a strand out of place. He wasn't sweating from the heat of the police station, and his arms were folded in front of him.

"Agent Hotchner, Agent Rossi, how kind of you to come visit. It's been rather lonely here. There is really no one else to talk to that cannot resist the urge to use a curse words in every other sentence," Harold said smiling. "Although, I was hoping that Agent Reid would have come with you. How is he doing?"

"You have no right to say his name Mr. Caldwell," Hotch said firmly.

"Oh, please do not call me that. That makes me sound…old. Harold is just fine for me. I do think I am younger than you actually Agent Hotchner," Harold said. "Did you ever try a new brand of soap like I recommended? You do not want to be aging your skin before its time now, do you?"

"We came to talk about you, Harold, not Agent Hotchner's skin," Rossi said.

"Oh, but skin is a part of everyday life. Don't you agree? Doctor Reid had the smoothest skin, like a baby's bottom. My knees got weak whenever I slid my hand against his cheek," Harold said with a sly smile.

"Um, Mr. Caldwell?" the older of the two lawyers asked cautiously.

"Didn't you just hear me tell the nice agents never to call me that?" Harold snapped back.

"Harold, may we speak with you in private?" the lawyer asked again. Harold narrowed his eyes at the older man. The lawyer was balding, overweight, and his fingers were trembling with the pen he was holding. Hotch didn't need to be a profiler to tell this man was scared to death.

"I will tell you when we can talk in private, but you should probably be saving your breath dear man. I am thinking that you will need all the air you can possibly get when you are forced to blow up your plastic date tonight," Harold said calmly.

"What did you just say?" the lawyer asked.

"I am sorry Agent Hotchner, but where were we?" Harold asked.

Hotch was sure that Prentiss was smiling with the insult that Harold just threw at his own lawyer, and for some reason, the lawyer seemed afraid to point the insult out.

"Mr. Caldwell," Rossi said slowly, "I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that you get the harshest sentence possible. In this case, that would be the death penalty. I am going to be there when they flip that switch on you."

Harold leaned forward which frightened both of the lawyers, but Hotch and Rossi didn't twitch a muscle. Hotch would never be afraid of this monster.

"Oh, Agent Rossi, must be act like this? I thought we were both civilized people, but it seems that I have been badly mistaken. For that, I apologize. I never liked dealing with older people. I just love children though…" Harold mumbled. "I really would enjoy asking you how old you are Agent Rossi, but I fear that you cannot count that high."

Hotch felt Rossi jerk next to him, but Hotch couldn't be surprised that Harold wanted to insult everyone around him.

"Harold," Hotch began. He reached down for one of the tapes when Harold started talking to the younger lawyer present. Hotch needed Harold to be alone. Talking to him with all of these distractions was proving to be impossible.

"Dear boy, tell me, what is your name?" Harold asked. "Your hair is nearly divine. It does remind me of Doctor Reid's hair, but his was so much softer. I wonder if you taste like the young doctor. It was better than chocolate."

Both of the lawyers were paling, and Hotch guessed that he didn't need to even say one more word to Harold to get him convicted. This man was digging his own grave. Still, Hotch pulled out one of the tapes and put it on the table. Hotch saw Reid's name on the tape, but he sat back to watch Harold's reaction.

Harold reached out for the tape, and held it in his hands.

"I don't see a television in here gentlemen. How can we possibly watch this without the proper equipment? I would just love to see the boy squirming under my grasp once again. Have you watched it yet Agent Hotchner? He was so awfully tight, but I think he was getting looser near the end of his stay."

"Mr. Caldwell, can I please…" the older lawyer began.

"No, you may not," Harold snapped back. "Are you always this unintelligent or are you trying extra hard today?"

"He's right sir," the younger one started.

"I truly miss Agent Reid. I should like to see him again soon. I loved the feeling of his hard sex in my hands, and the warm blood traveling down his thighs. I've never experienced anything quite like it before. Did you hear his pleas in the middle of the night when the rest of the house was quiet? He did call out your name a lot, but I did pity him a bit when the boy was screaming out for his mother in his dreams. It was pathetic. He never mentioned her when he was awake."

Hotch knew this was a trick that Harold was playing with them in order to make them upset and do something they didn't plan on doing. Hotch wasn't born yesterday though, and he knew exactly what Harold was trying to do.

"How many people did you actually kill Harold? We've recovered boxes of these tapes, and I'm just wondering if you really know," Hotch said.

"I've been meaning to convert those tapes. It seems that DVDs are much more popular these days, but I was never good at it keeping up with the newest trends," Harold said.

"How did it feel when you murdered your brother? It felt good, didn't?" Rossi asked. "He was always in the way, stealing everyone's attention so they never noticed you."

"How did it feel when all of the women you fell in love with left you Agent Rossi?" Harold asked back. He gave a small smile when Rossi glanced at Hotch.

Hotch wasn't even mildly curious about how Harold knew about Rossi's personal life. He knew that Morgan and Reid didn't tell the beast anything about the rest of the team.

"Harold, I really just want to know if you know how serious these charges are," Hotch said. "Your parents will not be able to bail you out of this one."

"Oh, Mommy and Daddy never cared about me unless I excelled in something or failed in something. I do hope this is the former of the two. You really need to speak to my mother about the horrid perfume she keeps wearing. I insist to her that is smells like road kill, but she chooses to ignore me. Maybe you could talk to her Agent Hotchner? She always liked men in uniform."

"You are going to be begging for mercy after only a week in prison," Rossi said.

"Did you bring the photographs I took? I would like to keep a few for my stay here. How is little Timothy by the way? I noticed that he is not here," Harold said.

"You are never going to see that dog again," Rossi said coldly.

"That dog is the least of your worries," Hotch added. "You should concentrate on your upcoming trial or how you would like to spend your last days alive."

"I do not know why you are making such a big deal out of this. Your little friends were simply guests enjoying a short stay at my house. It is nothing more."

"We have the tape of you ignoring Agent Reid's cries to stop," Rossi said.

"I do think you are much too old to have ever heard of role play," Harold said.

* * *

Prentiss wanted to charge in the room herself, and slap Harold across the face. That's all he deserved. She couldn't believe what Harold was telling Rossi, and she had to admire Rossi for the bravery to stay in that room. Prentiss didn't think she could. She saw him smiling eerily at Rossi across the table, and she had to turn around for a moment. She couldn't stand to look at his smile anymore.

She tried to concentrate on what was being said, but something on the television caught her attention. She stepped away from the interview room, and looked up at the TV in the next room. She felt her breath get caught in her throat when she saw a picture of Reid filling the television screen. It was only a photo taken when he was turned around so the audience couldn't see anything more than Reid's hair, but it was quickly replaced with another picture that focused on Reid's wounds. White bandages were covering his back, and the hospital sheet was barely covering up his privacy. Prentiss clenched her teeth in pure anger, and quickly dialed the number to J.J. She could barely contain her anger when another picture was put up that showed Reid's pale face with his still chapped lips. Prentiss forced herself to turn around as pictures of Morgan started appearing.

"J.J." the young woman said.

"How in the world are there pictures of Reid and Morgan on the news?" Prentiss almost yelled.

"I'm working on it. They've been sneaking into the hospital, and I just found out. We've got problems over here," J.J. said.

"Yeah, we need to get those pictures off now!"

"You need to come back anyway," J.J. said. "Reid's dad has been calling up. He's on his way here now."

"His dad?" Prentiss couldn't believe it. She walked back to the interview room, and saw Harold was leaning back on the table whispering words that only Hotch and Rossi could hear.

"It's a mess over here," J.J. said. "I don't know what to tell his dad when he gets here. They are just moving Reid to a room now."

"Okay, I'm telling Hotch. We'll be back soon." Prentiss hung up the phone, and looked back at the television. She knew that even if J.J. got the news programs to remove the pictures, they would be all over the internet. Once they were on the web, it would be almost impossible to get them all down. Morgan and Reid would be devastated if they knew.

* * *

Rossi didn't think he ever hated as someone as much as he did Harold. There was no reasoning with this guy. Whenever Rossi thought of something clever or insulting to throw at Harold, Harold moved on to another topic. Hotch was hiding his feelings inside, but Rossi knew that Hotch was getting upset too. Rossi was about to open his mouth for another comeback when Prentiss opened the door suddenly. Hotch and Rossi both turned to see what was wrong when they saw the television behind her. There was a large photograph of Reid's back on the screen, and Rossi swore his heart dropped. The kid's back was covered in bandages that were soaked in his blood, and the thin sheet was barely covering up his rear end. Prentiss didn't need any words to tell them what was wrong.

"Oh, there's my beautiful friend," Harold said smiling. He turned to the younger of the lawyers, and motioned towards the screen. "You do look a lot like the doctor, don't you?"

Rossi stood up, and he felt his fists forming as he tried to control himself. He looked back on the screen and saw a picture of Morgan with his arms bandaged up and his lips paler than normal. He was sleeping when the photo was taken.

"Is that…Agent Morgan?" Harold slowly asked. "He's alive?"

"And he told us that you decorate your house like a dying bear," Rossi said suddenly. Once he said it, he couldn't believe it, but Harold was getting angry. His thin lips almost disappeared in his glare, and Rossi was almost afraid.

Harold jumped out of his chair, and lunged himself at Rossi. Rossi put up his hands in self defense, but he didn't need to. Hotch had him on the floor before Harold's finger scraped Rossi.

"Guards! Get in here!" Prentiss yelled out.

"Oh, but I was only going to play with Grandpa," Harold said.

Rossi was disgusted, and he would have felt better when the guards showed up if he didn't see Harold's parents behind them. The mother had one of her hands over her mouth in shock, and the father looked like he was near tears as handcuffs were forced back on Harold's wrists. Rossi stood near Prentiss and Hotch while Harold was escorted away.

"J.J. is having trouble with the media at the hospital," Prentiss told them as they made their way back outside.

"We noticed," Rossi said.

"And Reid's dad is coming to the hospital. He wants to see his son."

Rossi closed his eyes for a second when he saw the hundreds of crazy fans outside who were still rooting for Harold's release. It looked like more had showed up while Rossi was inside with the monster of a man. Even Hotch and Prentiss stopped when they saw the screaming people by the doorway. Rossi wanted the day to be over, but he had a long way to go.

_so yay for the finishing of this chapter! so u guys like it? yes, no, and maybe? and if you say no, i am totally telling harold on you. i wouldnt want harold to know who i was if i was you...or me...so ya. i dont know what i just said. so pretty plz review for the death of october? i miss it already. halloween needs to come back. and review!_


	37. Chapter 37

_um, sorry for the super long delay you guys. finals came up but i got two As and 3 B+s so go me! school is currently over and so i have until next semester to write freely. reid wakes up in this chapter so you guys can be happy and not murder me about that. i still dont know where the story is going, but i never imagined that it would be as well liked as it is. theres almost too many characters to keep track of at this point. i dont know how that happened either. so read on reader people friends!_

Hotch was still feeling angry after he left the back room with Harold. It felt good to hold that man down to put him in his place, but the interrogation didn't go as planned. The only thing that really set Harold off was when he found out that Morgan was still alive. The media had worked to their advantage after all, but Hotch wasn't too thrilled when he saw crazy fans and supporters screaming for Harold's release. He almost wondered if he should be talking to the crazies outside versus the men locked behind the cell bars.

"A whole bunch more came right after the news program," a gruff officer said. "I've had like three girls coming in here claiming to be the guy's sister. I mean, did they even look at the pictures on the TV?"

"There's why they're here," Prentiss almost said more to herself than any of the men around her.

"Here, let me gather a few of the guys up to walk you out. We've never had to deal with anything like this before, ya know?" The officer took another glance outside, and turned to find more officers to help out.

Hotch wasn't afraid of going out there to the wild crowd, but he knew that Prentiss and Rossi weren't up for it. He had asked too much of them already. He couldn't ask anymore.

"We're going to get Harold out," Olivia commented. She was standing next to her husband only a few feet away from Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss. Hotch knew that she would be threatening them until they left. This woman just had to face that fact that her son was a very sick individual who tried to murder two of Hotch's friends. Hotch would never let Harold see the light of day again.

"We have connections," Olivia continued. "And if it takes all night, I'm going to get Harold out of this horrible place. He doesn't belong here. He belongs at home with his parents."

"He belongs in an electric chair," Rossi mumbled. Prentiss smiled at his remark, but Olivia's face turned bright red.

"How dare you!" Olivia moved forward as if to attack Rossi, and both Hotch and Prentiss moved in front of him almost out of instinct. They really were a family. Hotch watched Prentiss lower her hand to where her gun was resting, but Hotch knew that wasn't necessary. Olivia's husband held her back before she could get near the team.

"Olivia, just stop," the man said gently. Olivia looked as though she was about to snap his head off, but she listened to him. "I'm sorry. She's been through a lot lately. Both of us have."

Hotch let his guard down, but he didn't let his eyes wander away from Olivia. He was starting to think that this woman was probably as bad as her son. Her expensive jewelry and fancy clothes didn't distract him from the hatred in her eyes.

"Our phones have been ringing non-stop since you released our son's name to the media. It was hell just to leave the house," Victor said. "The lawyers are afraid that we'll start receiving death threats in the mail soon."

"Sir, I am sorry," Hotch said. "I truly am, but that does not give you or your wife to attack one of my agents." Hotch glanced at Rossi who seemed unmoved by the near assault.

"I'm not sorry," Olivia threatened.

"Be quiet dear," Victor said, but he didn't look at her. Hotch guessed their marriage wasn't the fairy tale they made it out to be in public.

"I will not be quiet until my baby is out of this jail!" Olivia shouted.

Hotch stepped forward to confront her, but Rossi held him back. Hotch wouldn't back down from this woman. If she saw what her "baby" did to Morgan and Reid, maybe she would change her mind. He would never let her see them though. They were too good for her.

"We should go Hotch," Rossi said quietly. "We need to be there when Reid wakes up."

"You're right," Hotch replied. He backed up, and looked over at one of the officers. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Keep an eye on these two, and keep Harold locked up." The officer nodded, but Hotch wasn't satisfied. He supposed that he wouldn't be until Harold was three feet beneath the earth. Two officers were already standing by the doorway to escort Hotch and the rest of the team to their car.

Hotch gave one last glance at Olivia, and he could almost see jets of fire shooting from that woman's eyes. He turned away from her, and opened the door to brave the crowd. Just as last time, people swarmed around him. He heard the officers shouting to the angry people, but that didn't do much good. Hotch used his arms to make a way to the SUV, and he actually got there before the officers did. He looked back to find Rossi and Prentiss, but they had disappeared in the rowdy crowd.

"Where the hell are Prentiss and Rossi?" Hotch shouted at the nearest officer. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Two of his agents were wounded in a hospital. Idiots were rooting for their kidnapper's release. The media was snapping pictures against his wishes, and now two more of his agents had to fight the public just to get their car.

The officer pointed over towards Rossi, and Hotch ran to his friend before the stupid cop could. An obnoxious woman was clinging to Rossi's arms, and Rossi was having a difficult time trying to get free from her grasp. Hotch pushed the woman back, and got Rossi away from her. The woman looked insulted that Hotch would touch her, but Hotch could care less.

"Thanks," Rossi told him. Rossi was out of breath, and sweat was dripping from his forehead. "When we get in the car, remind me to call the police. Most of these people need to be arrested."

Hotch nodded in agreement, and searched the people for Prentiss. She was nowhere to be seen. The two officers found Hotch and Rossi, and finally escorted them to their car. Two officers couldn't be in charge of calming down a crowd this large. Hotch was disappointed to find Prentiss was not already in the car. Rossi noticed too.

"Where's Prentiss?" Rossi asked. Both of them looked back at the mob they just came from, and Hotch didn't need to say something to answer Rossi's question. They were turning around to find Prentiss when they heard a gunshot go off. Hotch ran toward the loud sound, and was happy to see the crowd was breaking off. He found Prentiss in the middle of a circle of obnoxious men and women. She was holding her gun, and it was pointed towards the sky. She was out of breath, and she looked physically exhausted.

Hotch walked up beside her, and helped her lower the gun back to its holster.

"Are you okay?" Hotch asked.

"I'm fine," Prentiss said sharply. She trotted to the SUV while the crowd was still in shock after the gunfire. Hotch and Rossi followed her, and managed to get into the car before the crowd started back up again. They didn't speak again until they had safely left the police station parking lot. Rossi remembered on his own to call the police, and Hotch would have arrested every single one of them if he had time.

"I'm sorry Hotch," Prentiss said. "They were all grabbing me, and I think one of those bastards ripped my shirt."

"I would have done the same thing," Hotch said. He was completely serious. He saw Prentiss smile at him in the mirror.

"J.J. is putting up with the same crap back at the hospital. I'm glad Morgan and Reid don't have to see this," Prentiss said after a few moments of silence.

"I'm pretty sure Morgan can see some of it from the television in his room," Rossi replied. "He's not going to want to be left in the dark as to what his team is dealing with."

Hotch's phone started buzzing in his pocket. He felt a dread in the pit of his stomach as his mind tried to guess who could be calling. The only person who would call him first would be Strauss. He still had no idea what he was going to tell her or even if he could tell her.

"Hotch," he said.

"Is this Agent Hotchner?" a quiet man's voice asked on the other end of the connection.

"Yes. Who is this?" Hotch watched Rossi and Prentiss exchange curious glances at each other.

"This is Doctor Norman. You may not remember me, but I am the doctor in charge of Diana Reid's care. Agent Reid gave me this number in case I could not reach him."

Hotch felt his muscles soften up, and he released the air he was holding tight in his lungs. He was thrilled that it wasn't Strauss who was calling.

"Is everything alright?"

"Physically? Diana has been doing better, but for the past few days, she has been telling the nurses that she thinks Spencer's body has been taken over by the government. I guess the letters that he sends her have been different than the previous ones. I wasn't going to think anything of it until I turned on the news this morning and saw Agent Reid's picture on every channel. Is everything alright?"

"He's in the hospital. We're actually on our way to see him now," Hotch replied. He wasn't going to give out any details of what Reid and Morgan had to go through to anyone who wasn't on the team.

"The staff here is keeping an eye to monitor what everyone is watching today. I'm not going to let anyone watch the news so they can worry Diana more. She hasn't been sleeping well ever since she got the idea in her head that Spencer has been possessed," the doctor said. "We're all very worried about him over here. Could you send him our best wishes?"

"Of course," Hotch said. "I'll have him give you a call when he is well enough. He's been through a lot."

"Thank you Agent. I can rest easier knowing that Diana's son is in good hands. Thank you again."

The phone clicked before Hotch could wish the doctor a pleasant afternoon. Rossi and Prentiss didn't ask who called, but Hotch had a feeling that they already knew. They had only been up for a few hours, but it looked like the three of them had lost some terrible battle. Prentiss was correct when she guessed that her shirt had been torn, Hotch couldn't remember the last time that Rossi had changed clothes, and Hotch was finally beginning to feel overwhelmed. The only thing keeping him going was the fact that Morgan and Reid were still alive. Evil hadn't won, and Hotch was going to make sure Harold got what he deserved.

* * *

William Reid couldn't believe that those horrible pictures he had been seeing on the news were that of his own son. When a friend of his pointed out one of the pictures, William tried to dismiss it away but there was no mistaking that the young man on the screen was Spencer. William got the first flight out of town, and nobody tried to get him to stay. It wasn't like William to abruptly leave his job like that, but he needed to be with his son.

The hospital that Spencer was at wasn't giving William any information on what happened. He gathered from the media that two agents were abducted by some serial killer. The media weren't handing out the names of the agents, but it was obvious that Spencer was one of them. William could probably make a logical guess as to who the other agent was, but that didn't matter. He wasn't even planning on staying at the hospital for that long. He figured that Spencer probably wouldn't even want him there. He just wanted to make sure that Spencer was going to be alright.

The hospital was a short trip from the airport so he was able to get there in record time, but when he saw all of the reporters standing in front of the hospital, he got nervous. He had never seen that many photographers or news anchors in his life. They were all lurking around like vultures, and they jumped whenever somebody left the hospital. Even the taxi driver looked shocked. William almost didn't want to get out of the car.

"Mind walking me to the door?" William asked meekly to the driver.

"Think I'm crazy? Ha!" The taxi driver turned to face the front of the vehicle, and waited for William to leave. William slowly counted out the exact change for the taxi, and opened the door. The taxi left the second he shut the door. He took a deep breath, and made his way into the crowd. He had to literally shove people to get them to move out of his way. What if he was having a heart attack and he couldn't reach the door in time? He tried using his manners and politely excused himself as he pushed his way to the front, but it wasn't working. One man even pushed him right back which caused William to fall down. He was never sturdy on his feet. He got himself back up again, but the crowd seemed even thicker than before.

"Let me through!" he shouted. "I'm Agent Reid's father!"

All at once, every person in the crowd turned in his direction. Blinding lights were dimming his vision, and the smell of the sweating bodies around him made him want to faint. People were shouting at him and sticking microphones in his face, but it was difficult to tell one question apart from another. He tried again to get through the crowd, but he couldn't take a step. The hospital seemed even further away than it was before. Why had he shouted who he was?

"Sir, is it true that we are in your son's final hours?" a lady shouted in his direction. He couldn't tell exactly who asked the question or how she got the idea that William knew anything about what was happening inside the hospital.

"Did the murderer really chop Agent Reid's penis off?" a man yelled in his ear. William felt his own heart start to beat faster. He didn't know what that psychopath did to Spencer, but he knew the sweat was dripping off his forehead just thinking about it.

"Your son was raped sir. Is this true? Do you know how many times he had to endure that kind of pain?" another lady asked. The world was starting to spin around William's head. Was his son really raped? That couldn't be true. Spencer was a formally trained federal agent who could take care of himself when times got rough, but then he pictured Harold's face from the news. William had to get in that hospital. William kept his mouth shut, and tried pushing his way through the crowd again. He saw large video cameras over his head and cameras were still blinding his vision. He silently swore that he would never again watch a news broadcast. He only got a few steps when he felt something crash down on his head. He fell to the ground, and felt more pictures being snapped.

"It appears that Mr. Reid, the distressed father of one of the wounded agents, has fallen to the ground after colliding with a video camera," he heard a woman's voice calmly say. He willed himself to get back up, but he couldn't. His eyes rolled back into his head, and his world faded into darkness.

* * *

"I thought I was talking to your supervisor!" J.J. shouted into the phone. "Get me your supervisor now! Those pictures need to be taken off the air!" She was so sick of dealing with selfish people who wanted nothing more in their lives than a good story. She was failing at getting the pictures of Morgan and Reid off the televisions, but she wasn't going to give up. She wasn't going to be afraid to sue these companies if she had to.

"No, don't put me on hold!" J.J. screamed at the phone, but only annoying elevator music answered her pleas. She slammed the phone on her leg, and whined in her frustration. Morgan and Garcia were listening from the room, and she knew they could hear everything she said. She put on a good face, and went back into the hospital room.

"They put me on hold again," J.J. said with a fake smile. "This is getting really old really fast."

"Maybe you should just give it a break for a while," Morgan said quietly. "When can we go to Reid's room?"

"When they put you safely in the wheelchair silly," Garcia said. "You're not supposed to be moving those arms around."

J.J. smiled for real at their casual conversation, and glanced at the television. It was on mute, but they could still see the screen. J.J. had to look at twice when she saw Reid's dad. She turned up the volume, and stood back to watch William Reid get pushed to the ground.

"Oh my God," J.J. whispered.

"Is that Reid's dad?" Garcia asked.

"I'll go get him," J.J. said. She ran out of the room, but it was hard to keep her boiling emotions under control when she had to rescue her friend's father from the paparazzi while being kept on hold by a news station. J.J. couldn't wait until the rest of the team got there. She needed their help to keep the crowds down so they would finally be able to sit with Reid until he woke up. J.J. wanted to see him again more than anything. They were like brother and sister. She still thought about being in his place when he was chained in that prison with Morgan and what he really went through. She would still give anything to have been in his place.

* * *

Prentiss spent most of the car ride to the hospital fumbling with her shirt. The torn shirt wasn't the reason that she shot off her gun. Some idiot man grabbed her arm, and she smelled alcohol in his breath which was strange because the day was still early. She could still feel the bruise that he left on her arm. She wasn't planning on telling Hotch or Rossi about it. That would just worry them more, and they already had so much on their minds.

The hospital was just as she pictured it with all kinds of idiots with cameras taking their pictures even before they were out of the car. Prentiss didn't bother covering her face. She was just too tired to care at that point. She was lined up in between Hotch and Rossi, and they did their best to keep together. She heard Hotch yelling at the photographers that they were not going to comment, but that didn't stop them from trying.

"Harold is growing quite a fan base. What are your opinions on that?"

"Are Harold's parents really going to bail him out of jail? Will he still want to go after the two wounded agents?"

"Why are you here at the hospital? Is something happening inside?"

Prentiss found it easy to ignore their questions. Drowning out the flashing lights was another problem entirely, and she found herself getting a headache after only a few shots. Why in the world would they want her picture?

J.J. was sitting out in the front room with one of her hands covering her face. Her other hand was holding a cell phone up to her ear. She didn't see them walk in, but the second she saw Hotch, she jumped to her feet.

"Hotch, Reid's dad came," she started.

"Is he here? Is he with Reid already?" Hotch asked. Prentiss could tell by his voice that he was a bit worried. She knew him long enough to tell his regular voice from a concerned voice.

"No, um, he ran into some trouble outside with the media," J.J. replied.

"What kind of trouble?" Rossi asked. Prentiss felt the bruise stinging on her arm, and she knew what happened with Reid's father. If that man said anything that could have excited the people outside, things could have gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds.

"Someone apparently dropped their video camera on his head. The doctor said he's going to be just fine, but he's asleep in another room right now," J.J. said. "He looked really concerned on the footage they got of him. Someone was asking him if Reid was…They were asking what happened to Reid, and Reid's dad looked like he just got shot."

Prentiss felt a growing lump in her throat that wouldn't go down. Closing her eyes wouldn't make the pain go away. She could only picture Reid's terrified face from the tapes as Harold touched him, and that made Prentiss want to puke.

"He doesn't know what happened to Reid," Rossi said.

"I think it's for the best that Reid doesn't see his dad when he first wakes up. I don't think he's been keeping in touch with his dad, and it might be too much of a shock for his dad to appear out of nowhere," Hotch commented.

"How long has he been sleeping?" Prentiss asked. Depending on how bad the hit was, Reid's dad could be waking up soon enough.

"Not long. Morgan and Garcia are already in Reid's room though. I was down here to wait for you guys," J.J. said. Prentiss thought J.J. probably didn't want to have to see what the monster did to Reid. She could barely handle what he did to Morgan, and J.J. never watched the tapes.

Prentiss bit the inside of her cheek on the long elevator ride to Reid's room. He was off in a quiet hallway so he would be able to rest. The doctor said that the first night after he woke up would be one of the hardest, and the entire team was going to spend the night there. They weren't going to leave Reid again.

Garica scooted her chair closest to the bed. One of Reid's hands was resting in both of hers. She was rubbing the top of his hand with her fingers, and she looked as though she was about to burst out in tears at any moment. Morgan was against the back wall in a wheelchair. His arms and shoulders were bandaged up, and Prentiss noticed the bulk of more bandages underneath his hospital gown. He saw them come in, but he didn't say anything. He was devastated. Hotch and Rossi chose the chairs next to the window to sit on. J.J. sat down on the chair that was near Morgan so Prentiss got the one next to Garcia.

None of them said anything for several minutes after getting settled in. All of them were closely examining the damage done to their youngest member. The nurses positioned Reid to rest on his stomach so the wounds on his back could heal quicker. The thin hospital sheet was pulled up to his waist, but the gown he was wearing was doing little to cover up the blood stained bandages on Reid's back. His hair had been brushed, but his skin had lost all of its color. He was breathing out his mouth which was slightly open, and Prentiss cringed slightly at the sight of his chapped lips. A black bruise was peeking out from underneath his hair, but his face was wiped clean.

Prentiss knew that everyone was waiting for Garcia to say something clever and witty to lighten up the mood, but she never looked away from Reid. Nothing funny could be said with all of these strange tubes pumping liquid into the young doctor. One machine kept beeping to assure to everyone that Reid's heart was still beating while another was inserted into one of his veins to provide him with pain medication and water.

"He's a tough kid," Rossi finally said.

"Did the doctor say anything else about his condition or when he would wake up or anything?" Hotch asked.

"He is still having nightmares," Garcia replied with moving her hands away from Reid.

"His fever went down though," J.J. said quietly. "And nothing is infected."

Prentiss felt herself getting sleepy from watching Reid's chest rise and fall with every breath. She wanted to get a coffee, but she wouldn't dare leave the room. She would get that coffee after she made sure that he was alright. Everyone was exhausted, but she didn't want to be the first one to fall asleep in the chair. She forced herself to stay awake for Reid.

* * *

It felt like another dream when Reid became aware of his own breathing. Something heavy was over his back, and another hand was over his. He wasn't going to open his eyes, but the stinging pain in his back forced him to wake up. His rear was searing with a burning pain, and he became more aware of the aching in his back as he came into consciousness. Where was he? The hands that were holding his were soft, and he smelled a strong perfume. His eyes opened a crack, and he was relieved to see that it was Garcia holding his hand. Was he in the hospital? How did he get there? All he was sure of was that he wasn't dead.

He slightly moved his position to look around him, and he saw J.J. and Prentiss. Both of them were fast asleep. J.J.'s normally silky hair was a ratted mess around the sides of her head, and Prentiss' skin looked deathly pale next to her black hair. Prentiss had her arms crossed around her chest, and J.J. still had a cell phone in her lap. Reid wanted to turn around to the other side to see if Rossi and Hotch were also fast asleep, but he didn't want to make noise to wake them up. That's when he saw Morgan. Morgan was in the very back, but he wasn't sleeping. They looked at each other for a moment that seemed to last forever. Morgan offered a small smile to Reid, and Reid smiled back. It was hard to tell from where Reid was positioned, but he thought Morgan was tearing up.

"Reid?" a familiar voice exclaimed. "Reid? Oh my God!" Garcia shouted. She squeezed his hand in hers, and Reid knew that everyone else was also waking up. Prentiss woke up before J.J. did, but both of them looked sick. How long was he missing? Garcia gently hugged Reid, but when he whimpered from the pain of being touched, she backed up. Rossi and Hotch circled around the bed, and the other two girls stood up.

"Sorry!" Garcia said. She pulled his hospital sheet higher on his body, and smiled at him.

"How are you feeling?" Rossi asked. Reid wanted to burst out crying, and try to forget everything that happened. If he didn't think about it, it might go away. He knew his reasoning was flawed, but he didn't want to remember. He wanted to forget.

"I'm okay," Reid weakly replied. His voice was strained, and it was faint when he talked. When did they find him? He remembered when Morgan went missing, but he couldn't remember his team finally finding him. He remembered Harold's hands all over him, and the agonizing pain whenever Harold violated him. His body jerked from Garcia's gentle touch, and it became a struggle to keep his breathing under control. Garcia didn't say anything when he went away from her touch, but she looked concerned. He knew the others saw that too.

"You've been sleeping for a while," J.J. said. "All of us were really worried about you Spence."

"What happened to me?" Reid asked after a moment.

"You should rest," Rossi finally said. "It's been a long day, and I don't think any of us are thinking straight right now."

"What time is it?" Reid asked. His body was betraying him again as he felt his eyelids get heavy.

"It's after midnight," Prentiss replied.

Reid wanted to stay awake. He had more questions to ask, but the pain in his back was becoming faint. He couldn't keep his eyes open. He tried to fight the sleep that was coming, but he was too weak to fight. He finally succumbed to the sleep that his body wanted.

_we wish you a merry christmas. we wish you a merry christmas. we wish you a merry christmas and now please review! that was song by me and harold =)_


	38. Chapter 38

_so i have been able to write more with the winter break right here and guess who got super good grades this semester. yay! im dreading for next semester to start. that just means more homework and less writing time, but school is school. so here is the next chapter ((even tho u peoples NEVER commented on the last one...)) and i think there is a character here that many of u will hate even more than markus if u can believe it. i kinda miss markus. he was fun to write _

Prentiss didn't remember falling asleep that night, but when she woke up, she was on the floor next to a pull out bed that the hospital provided. Garcia and J.J. were somehow sharing the small bed, and Prentiss had gotten herself comfortable on the floor next to the bed. Rossi was fast asleep on the armchair, and Hotch had fallen asleep on a small chair near the window. His arms were crossed over his chest, but his face looked more relaxed in sleep than it did when he was awake. Morgan was at the end of Reid's bed, sleeping in his wheelchair. The nurses fought with him all night, but Morgan refused to go back in his room. The nurses finally agreed to let him stay with the team. Prentiss lightly turned her head to look at the clock, and she was shocked to find out that it was only three in the morning. What woke up her up?

She was about to go back to sleep when she heard Reid moaning in his sleep. She sat up carefully, not to disturb J.J. or Garcia, and she saw that Reid was tossing and turning. Most of the bed sheet was on the ground, and the bandage that was covering up his wounded calf was becoming unraveled. She sat up straighter, and saw that Hotch's eyes were also now open. Reid was breathing heavy, and a small whimper came out of his mouth whenever his body shook. One by one, the rest of the team opened their eyes and watched their youngest member battle the demons inside his own mind.

Prentiss got up first, and tried to keep Reid steady. If he kept thrashing about, he would open all of the stitches in his back or bring his fever back up. Rossi got on the other side, and helped her by holding Reid feet down. Hotch was out the door in a flash to find a nurse. J.J. and Garcia were the last ones to wake up. When Garcia saw what was happening, she paled, but she was on her feet in seconds to do what she could to help.

"Should we wake him up?" J.J. asked as she got to Reid's side.

Prentiss was having a more difficult time keeping Reid still as he got deeper into his nightmare. Whatever he was seeing, he couldn't fight hard enough to get rid of it. She squeezed his hand tightly. He wasn't going to be alone in his nightmares.

"Wake him up. He's going to hurt himself!" Rossi exclaimed.

Garcia bent down near Reid's face, and put her hand on his cheek.

"Wake up baby cheeks. Wake up. Reid, open your eyes!" Garcia said very calmly. "Wake up."

All at once, Reid's body stopped jerking. His mouth was slightly open, and his breathing stopped for a moment. That was when Reid finally opened his big eyes. He looked around the room, and saw all of the concerned faces looking down at him. He released the air he was holding, and Prentiss felt him squeeze her hand. Garcia smothered him with little kisses on his cheeks, and J.J. gave him a small hug. Rossi bent over, and put the hospital blanket back over Reid's bony legs.

"Are you okay Spence?" J.J. asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Reid finally said. He was still having trouble catching his breath, and he was pale. Prentiss couldn't tell if it was from the lighting or from his traumatic dreams. Hotch got back to the room after Reid put his head back on the pillow. A nurse was next to Hotch. She rushed over to Reid when she saw that he switched positions.

"Are you stitches alright?" she asked without a second's notice. She pulled the sheet up to look over Reid's calf before he had the chance to reply. She saw the bandages were undone, and then she covered him back up. "Oh, dear. I'll be right back." She hurried out of the room without saying another word.

"Well, she was friendly," Prentiss mumbled. Nobody laughed, but Prentiss didn't really except anyone to. They finally rescued Morgan and Reid from the dungeons of hell itself, but they couldn't protect them from the memories of that place.

The nurse came back in followed by another doctor. The doctor looked over Reid's calf, and sighed. The doctor whispered something in the nurse's ear, and she quickly ushered all of the agents out of the room except for Morgan. He refused to leave Reid alone, and Hotch ordered that Reid and Morgan were never to be alone. The doctor followed them in the hallway.

"He's probably going to be having nightmares for quite a while," the doctor said. "I'm surprised that Agent Morgan's dreams don't seem as violent. I'm guessing that he is either better at hiding them than Doctor Reid, or his nightmares are still yet to come."

"What should we do about the nightmares?" J.J. asked.

"Can we stop them somehow?" Rossi questioned.

"Is he going to be alright?" Garcia asked near tears.

"They can both go through counseling, but the nightmares will get better over time. Doctor Reid is alright. The nurse is just getting his bandage tighter. We don't want that falling off again. We just wanted to give him some more privacy," the doctor said smiling.

"Are you his new doctor?" J.J. asked. Prentiss knew that this wasn't his regular doctor, but she knew that all doctors and nurses had strange shifts. She'd rather go back inside to watch over Reid, but the doctor was right. Reid deserved some privacy.

"I'll be watching him over during the night hours. Doctor Meyer told me a little about what happened before he left for the night, but I'd like to look over both of them in the morning. My name is Doctor Gordon," the older woman said. She wore her dark hair in a bun behind her head, but she didn't look too much older than Prentiss. "Does anyone else have any more questions?"

* * *

Reid still felt his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that what he just went through was a dream, but why did it feel so real? He could still feel Harold's eyes piercing into his soul. He jerked away from the nurse when she bent his leg, but he relaxed when he saw that she just wanted to help. Reid tried telling himself that all of this was perfectly normal. People who went through experiences like he did were usually afraid of touch, and they suffered from nightmares. Reminding himself of these statistics weren't helping though. He didn't want to feel like this.

When he felt his eyes start to get heavy, he opened his eyes wider. Why was he falling back asleep? He just woke up, and he wasn't too eager to sleep again right after what he saw. He didn't want to sleep again for a while. He tried stretching his muscles, and moving his head around to keep himself awake, but it wasn't working. That's when he saw the IV embedded into his arm. He looked at the tube, and saw a bag of liquid attached to it.

"Nurse? What is that?" Reid asked. He felt his voice getting lighter, but he couldn't let them drug him up. He'd rather face a lifetime of nightmares than turn towards drugs. He couldn't handle all of this on his own.

"It's okay pretty boy," Morgan called. Reid turned and saw Morgan wheeling close to his bed.

"Morgan? Don't let them give me any drugs," Reid mumbled. The effects of whatever drug that was in that bag were getting stronger and stronger. He laid his head all the way on the pillow, and didn't mind at all about the nurse who was wrapping up his leg. He felt a tingling pain in between his legs and a sharp pain on his back, but he could barely feel it anymore. That last time he remembered feeling like this was right before Harold stuck his dirty hand down Reid's pants.

Reid jerked back awake, and his breathing was getting faster. He couldn't go back to sleep. He wouldn't. Even the reasonable voice in his mind couldn't calm him down. If he went to sleep, he wouldn't be able to defend himself. Harold could show up at any moment, and take him back to that room. Morgan would be tied back up to the wall, and Reid would die on that table.

* * *

Morgan flat out refused to leave the room when the nurse asked them to do so. He wasn't going to leave Reid alone again. He watched from the back while the nurse lifted Reid's leg to a bending position so she could tighten up his bandage. He saw Reid shy away from her touch at first, but he calmed down when he saw it was a nurse. Morgan knew exactly how he felt. He still could feel Harold's black whip slapping across his body, and Harold's hot breath whenever Morgan was alone. He could still see the prison room in perfect detail, and it sent shivers down his spine. Harold was in his dreams every night.

Reid was doing alright until he saw the IV bag. His eyes got wide, and he frantically looked over for Morgan. Morgan used one of his legs to wheel himself closer to the bed.

"It's okay pretty boy," Morgan called out. He thought that Reid might calm down just from hearing his voice. He knew that Reid wasn't going to like it when he found out that they were giving him drugs, but it wasn't that much really. If the hospital let him be the way they found him, they pain would be unbearable.

"Morgan? Don't let them give me any drugs," Reid whined. His voice was getting weaker, but he kept looking at the IV bag and the nurse. Morgan felt better when Reid's head finally fell back on the pillow, but he kept moving it side to side in a failing attempt to stay awake. Morgan knew how that felt too. He would give anything to not have to sleep another night.

Morgan and the nurse both thought that Reid was finally going back to sleep when Reid jerked himself back awake. He was breathing faster, and he looked scared to death. The nurse didn't act like she knew what to do. Morgan scooted closer to Reid's bed, and shushed him to lie back down.

"What are you afraid of Reid? Nothing is going to hurt you here. I promise," Morgan whispered. "All of us are right here for you. You're safe now." Reid didn't look fully convinced, but the drug was stronger than he was. After a few more seconds of fighting with the drug, Reid fell asleep. His mouth stayed open, but his breathing returned to a normal rate. The nurse finished with his leg, covered him back up, and rolled him over to his side so he wouldn't disturb his back while he rested.

Morgan stayed next to Reid while the rest of the team filed back in. All of them saw that Reid was already back to sleep, and so no questions were asked. Morgan was curious about what the doctor told them, but he could just ask the doctor himself in the morning. He wasn't going to make any noise that might wake Reid up. Rossi and Hotch sat in their chairs, and the girls sat on the little bed. None of them acted like they were tired, but Morgan knew it wouldn't be long before all of them were asleep. Garcia would be the first to go, and Hotch would usually be the last one to go, but not tonight. Morgan was avoiding sleep as long as he could. He wouldn't be able to fight off his own demons much longer by himself.

* * *

Nikki had stayed up all night watching the news broadcasts. She couldn't believe that something like this was happening in her own town. She had most of her friends rallied up to support her by the next morning. Harold was being framed for all of the murders. She just knew it. There was no way that a young man could have possibly killed all of those people. It just wasn't possible, and she was going to prove it. She was up at the crack of dawn the next day, and with the help of own her closest friends, she forged an ID card. She had to get in that jail to meet Harold.

She didn't think her heart could have been beating faster than it was as she made her way to the front of the line. It should have been obvious to the police about Harold's innocence when so many people were outside of the jail demanding his release. He was one of the most handsome men that Nikki had ever seen, and she got butterflies in her stomach just thinking about how she was only minutes away from meeting him. To her surprise, she made it inside of the building and to the front desk. It was still early, and she had beaten most of the crowds still forming outside.

"Name please," an overweight officer demanded. Nikki fumbled around in her purse, and pulled out the forged ID. She handed it to him with her shaky hands.

"My name is Miranda Caldwell. I'm cousins with Harold, and I'd like to see him please," she said with a confident tone. She could have believed in her own lie if she tried enough. She knew those acting classes in school were worth something. The officer barely looked at the ID before he was leading her back toward the cell rooms. Her heat was thumping against her chest, and she couldn't stop her fingers from trembling. Would he like her? Would he look anything like his pictures? Was he innocent of all the crimes they were blaming him for?

The officer stopped outside the last cell, and kicked his foot into the wall. The man inside was sleeping on the bed until the rude awakening woke him from his dreams.

"Visitor! Five minutes," the cop warned Nikki as he walked away.

Harold sat in his bed for a moment longer, but when he finally turned around, Nikki felt like fainting. He was even more handsome than his photographs. His skin was of an olive complexion, and she wanted nothing more than to melt in his brown eyes.

"Hello my dear. I don't believe we've ever met," Harold said as he looked her up and down.

"Um, no. My name is Nikki," she said nervously.

"Nikki…Is that short for Nicole? It's a beautiful name. How can I be of service to you Miss Nicole?" Harold asked.

"Um me, my friends and I, have been watching your story on the news. We think that you are being framed, and we want to help," she said in one breath. "We think it is terrible what the media is making you out to be."

Harold walked closer to her, and he looked her up and down once again. She held her breath as he wrapped his fingers around the bars and leaned in closer to her.

"How would you be able to help? It seems that the incompetent lawyers around here cannot get me out of here as quickly as I would like," he replied.

Nikki smelled his breath on her face, and she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from saying anything irrational. His breath smelled like roses to her.

"I have friends…There's a little group of us, and we will do anything we can to help you get out of here," she told him. "Anything."

"Apparently, those two FBI agents in the hospital are one of the reasons that I am still here. One of them has been saying that I was the one who did those horrible things to them, and as soon as the other one wakes up, he is going to agree with his friend." Harold paused when they both heard a guard walk by. The guard didn't take any notice of them.

"What do you want me to do?" Nikki asked.

"Would there be any way that you could somehow shut the agents up?" Harold asked.

"How would I do that?"

"Get rid of them," Harold whispered. "Apparently, they were both drugged up and they convinced themselves that I hurt them. The only way to make them stop talking would be to make them disappear. Could you and your friends do that?"

"Make them disappear?" Nikki whispered back. "You mean, kill them?"

"Oh, my dear, no! I never suggested that you kill them. I'm merely telling you that those two are the only reason I must spend my days behind these horrible bars with low lives and thugs," Harold said. "People who live here don't even like to bathe. It's dreadful!"

Nikki looked back to make sure the guard was nowhere near, but she pitied Harold. He needed help, and it did smell terrible in there. Harold needed to get out.

"Okay. We'll think of something," Nikki answered quickly. She nearly collapsed when Harold kissed her hand. She loved the feeling of his lips against her skin. The only reason she didn't fall was that her hand was keeping her steady with the cell bars.

"Thank you Miss Nicole. You won't regret this," Harold said smiling. "I do hope to see you again soon."

Nikki smiled back at him, and hurried out of the police station before another cop would ask for ID. She had to get her friends together. Her friends were always doing dangerous things. They liked to live on the edge, and this was going to give them the high of their lives. Harold might even like her so much for saving his life that he could fall in love with her. That's what she wanted more than anything. She would never wash the hand he kissed.

* * *

Sarah was setting up breakfast for her mother when something on the news flashed for her attention. She was never one to watch the news too closely, but something was different. She moved closer to the television, but didn't turn it up. It was still early, and she thought that her mother deserved to rest longer. She was never really the same after Sarah's father was murdered, and ever since Derek joined the FBI, all of them were always on heels waiting for news that something terrible had happened. Sarah's breath caught in her throat when she saw a picture of one of Derek's teammates on the television screen.

"And we are still awaiting any news on the conditions of the two agents," the news reporter said.

Two agents? Sarah grabbed the phone from its carrier, and dialed Derek's number as fast as she could get her fingers to move. Her heart stopped when it went right to voicemail. After a second failing attempt, she finally called up her sister.

"Desiree?" Sarah meekly asked.

"Yeah, what's up? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"When did you last hear from Derek?" Sarah asked quietly.

"I don't know. Why?"

Sarah turned away from the television when her suspicions were confirmed. A picture of her brother was filling up the screen.

"Get over here now," Sarah commanded.

"Why? What's wrong? Tell me!"

"Derek and one of his teammates are on the news. It looks like something bad happened. They are both in the hospital, and he's not answering his cell," Sarah said.

"Oh my God. Does mom know?"

"No, she's still sleeping," Sarah said.

"No, I'm not," a voice from beyond the kitchen said. Sarah nearly dropped her phone at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Just get over here," Sarah said before she hung up the phone. She placed it back in its holder, and turned around to face her mother.

"You act like I've never had children before," her mother joked. "I know the sound of sneaking in phone calls before or after normal hours Sarah." Her mother made her way into the kitchen, and after a quick look through of the room to make sure everything was in order, she sat down. Sarah turned off the television as casually as she could.

"Good morning mom. How did you sleep?" Sarah asked as she put breakfast on the table.

"Just fine. Was that Desiree you were calling?"

"Yeah. It's nothing mom."

"Is it about Derek?"

Sarah looked out the window, but Desiree wasn't there yet. Sarah was going to have to tell her mother what happened on her own. She sat down, and pushed the food out of the way.

"He's in the hospital mom," Sarah said. Her mother put her hands against her heart, but she didn't make any shocked noises.

"What happened? Is he alright?"

"I don't have any details mom. I saw his picture on the news, and he's not answering his cell phone. I just told Desiree and she's on her way here now. I think somebody else is with him in the hospital, but I didn't look close to see who it was," Sarah said lamely. She really didn't look closely. It was a guy, but that's all she really knew.

"Didn't they give you their numbers when they were over here that one time?" her mother asked. She was right. Most of Derek's team visited them while they were trying to get him out of jail, and a few of them left their numbers. Sarah leaped from her chair, and ran her fingers through the address book to get their numbers. She found the number for a Spencer Reid, and dialed him first. It went straight to voice mail.

"Agent Reid isn't answering," Sarah told her mother.

"Hey, isn't that the skinny kid?" Desiree asked. Sarah looked to the front door, and saw her sister walking in.

"Yeah, I think he was the one Derek talks about a lot. I'll try Agent Hotchner. I have his number here too," Sarah said. It rang twice before a stern voice answered the call.

"Hotchner."

"Hi, um, I believe we've met before. My name is Sarah. I'm one of Derek Morgan's sisters, and I just turned on the TV this morning, and I saw his picture on the news. What happened?"

"He's in the hospital. He's sleeping right now, but I can have him call you when he wakes up later today," Hotchner said. Sarah could tell the man was exhausted just by the tone of his voice.

"Is he going to be alright?"

"He's doing a lot better," Hotch said.

"Should we come down and visit him? We can probably be there by tonight if we can catch a plane this afternoon," Sarah offered. She knew that all three of them would want to be right by Derek's side if he was hurt during an arrest that went bad. Their family was small, but they loved each other deeper than a bigger family ever could. Sometimes, she thought of her and her siblings more as triplets than as separated by age. They were her world, and she prayed for Derek's safety every night before she went to sleep. Their family couldn't handle another loss.

"I'm sure he'd like that. I'll keep it a surprise," Hotch said.

"Thank you so much agent. We'll see you soon." Sarah hung up the phone, and turned around to her waiting family. "Derek is doing better, and he would love to see us. It's going to be a surprise, and it will probably make him feel better."

"Who was the other agent who was hurt? Did you find out?" her mother asked.

"No, I forgot to ask, but we can buy flowers for both of them. Sound good?" Sarah asked.

"We haven't taken a plane ride in forever!" Desiree exclaimed. "This is exciting, isn't it?"

"I just hope that Derek really is alright," their mother quietly said. "But nobody is going anywhere until all of us have a nice, big breakfast."

Both of the girls laughed, and Desiree took her place at the table while Sarah made her up a plate. The scene was nearly perfect with the two daughters eating a filling breakfast with their mother. All that was missing was Derek with a smile on his face.

* * *

"Do you really think Harold killed all of those people?" Gloria asked as she stretched herself from their bed. Victor turned over to get more comfortable, but he didn't look at her. He didn't even open his eyes.

"What do you think honey?"

"I don't know," Gloria responded. She really didn't. She made sure that her sons got the best in everything. They had the best tutors teaching them about the world, the biggest birthday parties every year, and the finest foods that kept them strong and healthy. She didn't know where she went wrong. Harold seemed like a normal boy growing up. "I don't think he could have done all that. Did you ever see him hurting little animals when he was growing up or lighting fires? They say that's a sign of a serial killer."

"Nope."

"Maybe he was doing that behind our backs, but you think one of the maids would have told us something." She waited for him to reply, but when he didn't, she continued. "His tutors never even told us anything. They kept telling me how brilliant he was. He was smarter than his brother. Michael was such a good boy…"

Parents were always told never to have favorites, but she couldn't help but choose Michael. He looked more like her, and he was always the perfect child. He didn't have the smarts that Harold did, but he was such a loyal son. He was always there for Olivia when she wasn't feeling the greatest, and he was always willing to take that second step. She missed him more and more with each passing day.

"He was a good boy," Victor said. He finally stretched, and sat up in the bed. "But did you ever even talk to Harold? I don't remember you even looking at him before this."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm just saying that I don't think you know our son as well as you claim to. What's his favorite color?"

"I think we need better lawyers," Olivia said. She wasn't going to be quizzed on her knowledge of Harold. How the hell was she supposed to know his favorite color? It wasn't her fault that he never bothered to tell her.

"Better lawyers?"

"Yes, better lawyers. The two we picked for Harold just aren't working out."

"I think they are doing just fine Olivia," he said.

"Harold is still in jail, isn't he?"

"Yes, but…"

"There are no buts in this. My baby is still having to sleep in jail like some common thief. I never raised my boy to be a commoner," Olivia snapped back. She slipped a robe over her nightgown, and opened the curtains to let the sun shine in on her sleeping husband. "Wake up dear. We have a long day ahead."

_so i hope u guys liked this chapter and maybe this time u will REVIEW it. u know, hit that REVIEW button and REVIEW how i did. ok, i really hope the button says REVIEW and not something else cuz then id sound kinda silly. whatever. plz tell me what u think and i hope all of u had the bestest Christmas ever and have a splendid new year. dont drink 2 much and never drink and drive =)_


	39. Chapter 39

_and so im sorry 4 the super long wait u guys. school just started and im taking one more class than im used 2, but guess what? im graduating in may with a ba degree so go me! yay! so i kinda need 2 pass all these classes but i made this chapter longer 2 make up 4 it. um, what else 2 say...i got all of ur reviews and u guys totally rock. i love u all! um, i still dont know whats happening with the lovely story. i know lots of authors make outlines but i just kinda think it through as im writing it or when im n the shower (cuz u guys NEEDED 2 know that detail, tell no1) so it is what it is. poor reid is still going through hell even though harold is being kept far away from him. i think morgan is getting better? but i dont know cuz they tell me nothing. so read read read!_

James had been a lawyer for most of his life, but one of the happiest moments in his career was when he received a call from the Caldwell house. They were looking for the best lawyers in the state and somehow, his name came up. James made sure that he was wearing his best tie along with a pair of new shoes before he drove to the house. The house was like a mini castle, and he couldn't believe he had to drive his car through gates just to find the front of the house. Gardens scattered the front lawn, and he swore he saw peacocks resting in the trees nearby. If he won this case, he could have more money than he ever dreamed of. He parked his car by the front door, and was surprised when a butler came out to take his keys.

"What are you doing with my car?" James asked the older man who just grabbed at his keys.

"I'm going to park your car sir. The garages are located on the other side of the property, and it looks like it might rain. You don't want to get your car dirty sir," the butler replied.

"Oh, you're right," James said. He looked up at the black clouds overhead, and prayed this wasn't a bad omen. He tossed his keys over to the butler, and walked up the staircase to the front door. The door opened before he even knocked. An older woman was there, and she was eyeing his jacket.

"May I take your coat sir?" she asked.

"No, thank you. I'm here to see Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell," James said.

"Oh yes sir. They are expecting you. One moment please," she said as she hurried off.

He was looking around, and it was hard to keep his jaw from dropping when he looked at the large chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a wide staircase just past a sitting area in the main entrance, but the numerous hallways and doors just on the lower level could keep him occupied for hours. The staircase was white with gold lining, and he was sure that if he shouted, he could hear his voice come echoing back to him. He wanted to just screw the case. Why in the world would he want to work if he could find a secret room in this mansion that he could move into? He'd be perfectly happy here with the peacocks in the front yard.

"Mr. McCartney?" a woman's voice called out. James turned around from his dream home, and looked at the older woman coming her way. She wore her dark hair in a tight bun on top of her head, and her dark eyes matched the new shoes he was wearing. She had several rings on each of her fingers, and the blue dress she was wearing was complimentary to her figure. Her lips were curved in a smile, but he had worked with people long enough to know real smiles from fake smiles. She wasn't truly happy to see him, but he guessed it didn't matter. All he really wanted was the money, and he needed it with his mother's failing health.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance ma'am," he said politely. "Call me James. I am here to talk about the case involving your son?"

"Yes, come this way into the reading room," she said. She motioned for him to follow her down one of the hallways. He mentally said farewell to the gold and white staircase, but this was work time, not play time.

"Melanie," Mrs. Caldwell called to a servant girl standing by the front door. "Could you bring Mr. McCartney and I some hot tea? You like tea, don't you?" she asked James, but before he could answer, she was already walking again. "Never mind the tea, bring two cups of coffee. I'd like those cups in five minutes. This way Mr. McCartney." James turned around to watch the maid scamper off into another room. He wished that he could spend the morning with her. He imagined that it would be a lot easier than spending an hour or two talking to Mrs. Caldwell.

Mrs. Caldwell led him into what looked like a small library. There was a bookshelf against one of the walls, a wooden desk, and two armchairs placed in front of a fireplace. The fire was already burning, and a beautiful white couch was sitting in front of a window. James was almost afraid of touch anything. Mrs. Caldwell sat in one of the armchairs, and motioned for him to do the same. Just as he was sitting down, Melanie rushed in with their coffees. She put the drinks on the table in between the chairs, and hurried away without making any eye contact.

"So I have read many things about you Mr. McCartney. You've been practicing law for over 20 years, and your father was also a lawyer. Correct?" Mrs. Caldwell asked. She took a sip of her coffee, and waited for James to reply. He cursed himself for not researching anything about the case that was being offered to him. He knew that her son was in jail, and that it was going to be his job to get him out of jail and prove his client innocent during the trial.

"Yes ma'am. He died a few years ago, but I can still feel him with me every day. My mother was the reason I got through law school. She would drill me on the school notes every single night until I finally got it down," James said. His mother was his world, and it sickened him that she was fighting the diseases that come with old age. He was dreading the day when he visited her to find out that she had forgotten who he was. He knew that day was coming.

"Superb. I am hiring you as my son's lawyer in this case. How long do you think it will take to get Harold out of jail?"

"It all depends ma'am," James said sipping his coffee.

"On what?"

"On the severity of the crimes that he is accused of, if he could be a flight risk, and on if he deemed a threat to the society. Even if Jeffrey Dahmer could afford a bail, they were never going to let that guy out," James said. Jeffrey had always been one of James's favorite criminal to research. James wanted to become a lawyer even more after he found out about the Dahmer case.

"Harold wouldn't hurt a fly. I am willing to do whatever it takes to get my son out of jail."

"What exactly are the charges against your son? Do you know why they are keeping him in jail?"

"He's accused of murder which is simply not true. Harold is a gentle boy, and he would go out of his way to help anybody. He is just being framed," she said quickly.

"Framed by who?" James heard everything. His most wild case from a woman who claimed a football team was raping her through the vents in her house. Nothing could be worse than trying to defend that woman.

"The FBI. Two agents are trying to say that my Harold tried to kill them. I'm sure they're both on drugs or alcoholics or something. Maybe they just want Harold's money," Mrs. Caldwell answered.

"Do you know where the agents are now?" James took a notebook out of his pocket, and started scribbling down the information he was getting. He was almost positive that the FBI wasn't framing her son, but this was his client now.

"Yes, they are both in the hospital."

"The hospital?" James was losing hope. If they were both in the hospital, he didn't know how he would be able to prove that her son was innocent. "Alright, I'm going to have to go see them. Maybe I can talk them out of pressing charges."

"They never liked this family. They've been watching us just because we have money. I'm always noticing strange cars parked across our property. It needs to stop."

"I can start doing some research on the agents. I'm sure I can dig up some dirt," James said.

"I thought agents had to have clean records to join the FBI."

"Not necessarily," James said smiling. "Everyone has crap in their family like abusive relationships, mental illness, or even tax problems. What are their names?"

"Hold on," Mrs. Caldwell said. She walked over to the bookcase, and started looking through the papers.

"Are their more names you can give me? The more, the better."

"They are only ones still alive…Ah! Ready for the names?"

"Yes," James said.

"The agents are Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid. I also found some more people who were murdered, and they are blaming my son. There's a Clayton Morrison and Samantha Huntington."

James jotted down the names, and put the notebook back in his coat pocket.

"Alright, I'm going to do some research on these guys and then I'll give you a call," James said. He stood up, and finished the rest of his coffee.

"I'll have Melanie show you out," Mrs. Caldwell said. She looked in the hallway for Melanie while he looked around the room again. He was going to have to do a lot of research on Harold as well. He couldn't defend someone that he didn't know.

"No need. I know the way. By the way, I haven't met Mr. Caldwell yet. Is he here?" James asked.

"He's resting. This has been hard on the both of us."

James nodded, shook her hand, and slowly walked down the hallway to the main room. His ex wife always teased him for not wanting to watch the news, but he was still glad that he didn't. He couldn't form an opinion about Harold from what the news said about him. He was going to have to meet with Harold later that day. He wanted to be prepared with the background checks first.

* * *

Morgan woke up with his heart pounding, and he felt himself breathing harder. The sun was shining through his window, and he was disappointed to find himself back in his own bed. He laid his head back on the pillow to catch his breath. He couldn't remember his nightmare, but he knew that Harold would be haunting his dreams for a long time to come.

"Have a good night's sleep?" Rossi asked.

Morgan lifted himself back up, and was embarrassed to see the older man sitting near the bed. He knew that Rossi knew about his nightmare. Morgan knew that Rossi was waiting to hear about the horrible dream, but Morgan wasn't going to talk about it even if he did remember it. He could handle his dreams on his own.

"Yeah, I did. How's Reid? Is everyone still with him?" Morgan asked to divert the conversation away from himself. He swung his legs over the bed, and stretched them out. It felt good to feel the muscles moving in his legs, and he couldn't wait to get back on his feet.

"Garcia and J.J. are in the cafeteria to have some breakfast so Prentiss and Hotch are with them. They are going to switch off, but Reid hasn't woken up since last night," Rossi said. "Both of you had a hard night. He was having nightmares too."

He knew that Rossi wanted to help Morgan get over what he was seeing, but how could Rossi ever understand what happened? Morgan couldn't use words to describe what happened to himself and Reid. He wasn't even sure how Reid was going to talk about it. Reid never really told them exactly what happened when he was alone with Henkle. They saw what was sent to them through the computer, but nothing more. Reid never volunteered any information, and none of them really knew how to ask. Morgan could relate with his past, but now he finally could relate perfectly with his young friend.

"None of us expect you to go through this alone," Rossi said quietly.

"I'm fine Rossi," Morgan said firmly. "I'm not a kid anymore. I know how to handle myself."

"How are we doing this morning?" a cheery nurse asked.

Morgan had never been so happy to see an overweight nurse in his entire life. She strolled into the room, and opened the curtains wide. Morgan appreciated her distraction, but Rossi never stopped looking at him.

"I'm doing good," Morgan replied. "I'm starving."

"That's good to hear," the nurse said. She wrote down some numbers on a clipboard and smiled at him. "I'll get your breakfast, but I'm going to need to change the bandages today."

"What?" Morgan asked.

"Your bandages. How are we supposed to keep you clean if you don't want to change your bandages? Imagine how gross that would be if we never changed them," the nurse said in her overly cheerful voice. She laid out some bandages on a small table next to the bed along with some small bottles. "Besides, the doctor ordered some new medicine here for you to try out. He thinks it could help the cuts on your wrists heal faster. I'll let you choose which ones we do first, but I really want to take a look at your back and see how that's doing."

"I should probably just wait out here," Rossi said.

"It won't take too long!" the nurse called out. Rossi and smiled and closed the door behind him. Morgan took a deep breath, and looked down at the bandages wrapped around his wrists. He could still feel those dirty spikes cutting into his flesh, and he could still smell Harold's cologne.

"Are you alright?" the nurse suddenly asked. Morgan looked up at the monitor and saw his heart rate had sped up. He clenched his hands in fists to calm himself down.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Morgan said.

"If everything goes as planned, you could probably try walking later today. We don't want your legs to turn into mush by sitting in a bed for weeks!" The nurse laughed, and started unrolling one of the bandages around his wrist. Morgan winced when her long fingernails scratched his skin, but he didn't say anything. Her lonely jokes were the only thing keeping his mind in that hospital bed. Almost everything reminded him of Harold in some way, and he just wanted it to stop. He just wanted to go back to the round table, and pretend none of this had happened.

* * *

Garcia didn't know how she was elected to sit with Mr. Reid, but once the team was informed that he was waking up, she was chosen to be with him. She nervously glanced at the strange machines around his bed. Hospitals never made her comfortable. She wanted to go back and see how Morgan was doing. She hadn't seen him last night, and a lot can happen in just a few short hours. The fact that she could see Reid's face in his father's wasn't helping either. She barely slept last night because of Reid's nightmares. Holding his hand seemed to help, but Garcia wanted to do more. She wanted to trade her dreams for his so he would be able to sleep, but she hadn't figured out a way to do that yet. She would someday.

When Mr. Reid started shifting in his bed, Garcia had no idea what to do. She stood up, but she didn't see Hotch anywhere near the door. What was she supposed to say to this guy? They had never been formally introduced, and Reid never really talked about his dad.

"Uh, where am I?"

Garcia turned around, and saw the older man rubbing the side of his head. He was looking around, and Garcia reluctantly sat down next to him.

"Hi, um, sir. My name is Penelope Garcia. How are you doing? Is your head okay? Is your cat better?"

"Who are you?" he asked. He scooted himself on the bed, and stared at her. "How do you know I have a cat?"

Garcia blushed. She tended to remember random facts about the people that she looked on her computers. She needed to learn how to stop blurting out private information about other people. Mr. Reid wouldn't be thrilled if he knew that she was running him through her super cool databases.

"I work with your son. You got hit on the head outside by some reporter or something, and so I was sitting with you to make sure you're alright," Garcia explained. She didn't mention the cat. Reid wouldn't have told her that his dad had a cat.

"How did you know I have a cat?" he asked again. He pushed himself up on his bed, and looked directly at her. She wasn't going to tell him that his son asked her to look up the most personal of all information about him. That would make her seem like she was spying on him, and she wasn't. Well, she wasn't really spying on him.

"Mr. Reid?"

Garcia turned, and saw Hotch standing in the doorway. She smiled, and stood up from her chair. She wanted to get out of that room as quick as possible. She needed to check on her boys.

"Who are you?" Mr. Reid asked.

"Sir, if it's alright, I'd like to go check on," Garcia paused. She noticed that Reid's dad was still staring at her."I'd like to go check on the boys."

"Go ahead Garcia," Hotch said. Garcia picked up her purse, and hurried out of the room. She wanted to know what Hotch was going to tell Reid's dad, but she could just find out later. She hadn't seen Reid since she went to get breakfast, and she was still sleeping when those sneaky nurses took Morgan back to his bed. She would go visit him first. She really missed their work calls together. She wanted her old Morgan back. It seemed like forever ago that they were telling each other naughty jokes in the privacy of their phones, and the teasing glances Morgan would give her out of the corner of his eyes. Could it ever be like that again?

* * *

"Mr. Reid, my name Aaron Hotchner, and I am your son's supervisor in the BAU," Hotch said. He sat down in Garcia's chair, and searched for any resemblance to Reid in the man on the bed before him. They had similar features, and they carried their bodies in similar ways.

"What's wrong with Spencer? I came down as quickly as I could."

"Sir, your son isn't in the best condition. I don't think it would be the best idea for you to see him just yet," Hotch said slowly. He knew that he didn't have the power to deny this man the right to see his son unless Reid decided that. Hotch didn't even want Reid to know his dad was there. Reid still had so much more to go through before he would even open up for the team.

"Was his penis cut off?" Mr. Reid asked abruptly.

Hotch was taken back. Did he just ask what Hotch thought he asked? Hotch wanted Garcia to come back. He didn't really feel comfortable talking about Reid like that. If Reid wanted to tell his father what happened to him, that was his own business, but the media needed to stop going around spreading lies about Morgan and Reid like that.

"No,but," Hotch started.

"Thank goodness. You have no idea what I was going through," Mr. Reid said. He sighed a breath of relief and laid back down on his pillow.

"Reid," Hotch said. He stopped himself when he saw Reid's father staring at him with a strange look on his face. "Spencer has only woken up once since he got here and that was only for a few minutes. I don't want him stressed out more than he has to be."

"I'm his father. How could I stress Spencer out?"

"When was the last time he spoke to you?" Hotch asked.

"I don't really know," Mr. Reid answered truthfully. "It's been a while I guess, but I need to be here for him. I saw those pictures that were on the news of him. He's my son."

"How do you think he would feel if you appeared out of nowhere right after he's been through a week with a serial killer? If you feel it's necessary to see him, could you please wait until he's had time to face it himself?" Hotch didn't even know what he would tell Reid himself when Reid finally woke up long enough to talk. Hotch knew that Gideon helped Reid a lot after their nightmare ordeal with Henkle, but Gideon wasn't there anymore. Hotch thought about what happened to him from time to time, but the entire team would be there for both Reid and Morgan this time. Hotch would make sure of it. Neither one of them were going to be alone.

"How was my son put into this situation in the first place?"

"Sir, this type of job deals with," Hotch began. How could he possibly try to tell this man what his team went through on a daily basis?

"Don't give me one of those official explanations. I know all of that. What I don't know is why my son is in critical condition in the hospital while you are walking around without so much as a scratch," Mr. Reid said.

What could Hotch say? Hotch still blamed himself every second for what happened, but the past couldn't be changed. Reid wasn't a child. Hotch knew the team treated him like a kid most of the time, but he was an adult. He knew the risks of the job when he applied.

"Oh, Mr. Reid, I see you're awake," a nurse said. Hotch snapped back into reality, and looked at the older nurse who was checking on the machines around Reid's dad. "How are you feeling?"

"Your son, Mr. Reid, walked away with his life. Most people who met Mr. Caldwell were not lucky enough to say that. Another agent was badly wounded too, but if it wasn't for your son, that serial killer might still be out on the loose today."

Hotch left the room without turning back. He was sure that the nurse was stunned, and he knew that he lost his temper. He just didn't like people treating him like he didn't know what he was doing. He spoke the truth though. If Reid and Morgan never met Harold, he could still be living in that house with that dog. He could be out hunting for his newest guests.

* * *

Dan waited in the hospital's waiting room with his mother. Tobey was staring up at one of the televisions, but neither one of the boys really wanted to be there. Dan's mother said that one of the agents called up, and invited them for a surprise visit with the man they saved. It had only been a few days, but that didn't stop Tobey from telling virtually every kid at their school. Dan didn't really want to talk about it. He loved the attention, but when people asked him what happened, he would have to relive the moment when he found the bleeding man in the park. He didn't want to think about it. He would never admit it to Tobey, but he was getting nightmares. His mother knew about his sleepless nights, and it was her idea that this would be good for them. Seeing that the agent they saved was alive and well would help calm his thoughts.

"It's way too early to be here," Tobey complained.

"We're skipping school, and we have a valid reason. I thought you of all people would be psyched," Dan said. He glanced at the television, and was sickened that the news broadcasters were still talking about what happened. The list of victims seemed to be getting longer and longer. Would it ever end?

"Both of you quiet up. We're in a hospital, not an amusement park," Dan's mother scolded.

Tobey sat down next to Dan, and picked up one of the magazines. He made sure that Dan's mom was looking in another direction before he leaned over.

"I'd be happier if we could have done this alone. Your mom is so annoying!" Tobey whispered. "And what are we supposed to say to this guy? I don't think I even saw his face."

Dan wished that he didn't see the agent's face. He had never been so close to death before. His mother worked in the hospital, but that didn't mean that he had ever seen anyone die. He didn't even like looking at blood, and the agent was full of it.

"Well, my mom got us those flowers," Dan said. He looked over at the stuffed animal and flowers his mother was holding. She wanted to make sure they didn't go in there empty handed.

"I'm sure some dude working for the FBI is going to love a stuffed pig with flowers. That's what would make me feel better after hanging out with a psycho murderer too," Tobey said.

Dan was used to Tobey's wise cracks, but he wasn't in the mood for it. He did wish he was back in school falling asleep in Math class.

"Hey guys," an older man said. Dan turned and saw the same agent who talked to them in the park that night. He was wearing a wrinkled up jacket with a tie and slacks. His hair had been brushed, but that wasn't really hiding his exhaustion. Dan was positive that this man would be out like a log as soon as he touched his bed. "I'm Agent Rossi. I don't know if you guys remembered or not."

"It's good to meet you Agent Rossi," Dan's mom said. She stood up, and shook hands with the agent. Dan and Tobey stood up behind her.

"And you guys are Dan and Tobey right?" he asked.

"How did you remember?" Tobey asked.

"I wrote down your names when we met," Rossi said. "I don't think I could have invited you here if I didn't have your names. Agent Morgan is almost done getting his bandages changed so you guys are going to be a big surprise for him. Follow me."

Dan tried to grab for the flowers, but Tobey got to them first. He would have to be the kid to give the agent a stupid stuffed animal. He kicked Tobey in the back of the leg, and both of them started laughing when he almost fell. Dan's mother turned around with her famous death stare which made both of the boys stop laughing.

It seemed like a million twists and turns before they even got in the right hallway. Dan's mother said this was to trick any nosy photographers sneaking in, but Dan doubted that was really helping at all. He still saw new pictures of the agents every day on the news. They got to the right room just in time to see a nurse leave. She smiled gently at Rossi, but didn't acknowledge the boys.

"It will just one second," Agent Rossi said. He slipped into the room, and left Dan waiting in the hallway with his mother and Tobey.

His mother turned around, and started patting down Dan's hair and straightening his shirt.

"Okay, do you remember what to say?" she asked.

"No," Tobey mumbled. Dan's mother shot him a look, but she ignored his comment.

"Just don't mention anything about the murderer or the other agent. You two are here to cheer him up, not make him remember why he's in the hospital in the first place. Got it?"

"Yeah mom," Dan said. He would say almost anything to get her to quiet up.

"Okay guys, come on in," Agent Rossi said from the doorway. Dan's mother planted a firm kiss on his cheek, and pushed him in Rossi's direction. He heard Tobey snickering behind him, and Dan would have kicked him if he wasn't already in the room. He suddenly felt really pathetic standing there holding a pink pig. There was already a litter of stuffed animals scattered across the bed and floor. Either this guy's mother had just been to visit or he had a really passionate girlfriend.

Agent Morgan was sitting on the bed. Dan barely recognized him. The only time Dan had really seen him was when it was dark outside, and Agent Morgan wasn't in the best condition. He had a twinkle in his dark eyes this morning, and his skin had been cleaned of all the blood. His arms were all bandaged up though, and Dan couldn't help but remember what he looked like when he was found. Dan had never seen so much blood.

"Hey guys," Morgan said with a warm smile. "Sit down." Morgan motioned to the chairs beside the bed. Tobey sat down in the chair closest to the door. Dan wanted to sit there, but Tobey got there first as usual.

"Hi," Dan finally said.

"What are your names?"

"My name is Dan," Dan said. "He's Tobey."

"You guys in high school?"

"Yeah, we're both sophomores. We got these for you," Dan said. He put the toy pig on the bed, and Tobey handed him the flowers to put on the side table.

"The pig is awesome," Morgan said. "Thanks a lot, for everything. They told me that you guys are the ones that found me."

"We were going on a walk," Tobey finally said. "Dan said he saw something, but I wanted to go back. It was creepy outside, and all the teachers kept warning us never to go out late at night, but we did anyway. Dan found you, but I was the one to call the police. We tried to find your friend too, but he wasn't there."

Tobey managed to talk about all the things that Dan's mother told them not to talk about. He was good at that. It was amazing that he was passing most of his classes. Dan wasn't one to complain much. He was just as bad at school as Tobey was.

"Both of you are really brave for doing what you did. I know lots of people who would have just freaked out and ran away, but you guys didn't. I would probably be dead if you guys decided not to go on a walk," Morgan said slowly.

"More people would have come along," Tobey said.

"How many people go on walks at night when the police tell them to stay in?" Morgan rebutted. "Thank you. Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome," Dan meekly said. If given the chance, he would save the agent again, but he wouldn't tell his mother what happened. He hated all of this attention. The second the reporters outside found out who he was, they tried following him inside. It was horrible.

"What's going to happen to the dude who did this to you?" Tobey asked. Dan blushed from embarrassment.

"I really don't know," Agent Morgan said. "I don't think there's any punishment the court can give to really make that man pay for what he did."

"There's always the death penalty. The guy could totally get toasted on the electric chair!" Tobey exclaimed. Morgan laughed, but Dan could tell by the agent's dark eyes that he was slipping back into the black memories of the time he spent away from the rest of the world.

"Who wants breakfast?" a nurse called out. Dan stood up to let the nurse through, and the agent snapped back into reality.

"I'm hungry," Tobey complained.

Morgan laughed again, and the agent who brought them there appeared with Dan's mother in the doorway. The nurse put some food on the small table by Agent Morgan's beside, and Tobey finally stood up.

"You guys ready to go?" Dan's mother asked.

Tobey shook Morgan's hand and left without so much as a goodbye. Dan's mother hurried after him. Knowing Tobey, he was already talking to the pretty nurses. Dan was about to follow when he turned around to look at the man he saved one last time. Was Agent Morgan really going to die if Dan hadn't showed up?

"Thank you for coming," Morgan said smiling. "It was a pleasure to meet the young men who saved me."

"The pleasure was all mine," Dan replied back.

"If you ever need anything, anything at all, give me a call. Okay? Agent Rossi can give you my number. I used to have cards. I don't know where they are at the moment, but it would be fun to shoot hoops with you sometime."

"I'd like that," Dan said. He shook the agent's hand, and smiled. "I'm so glad you're going to be alright. I prayed for you almost every hour." Morgan laughed, and Dan did hope this would help his nightmares at night. Everything was going to work out.

* * *

_Reid stretched out his legs, and cried out in pain when the spikes around his chains dug deep into his wrists. He watched the scarlet blood drop down, but he wasn't going to say anything. He didn't want to make Morgan more worried than he already was. Was the team ever going to find them? Had they already given up? _

"_How are you doing over there pretty boy?" Morgan called out._

_Reid tried switching positions and he ignored the sharp pains shooting up from his ankles with every movement. He wasn't going to tell Morgan how much pain he was really in or that his stomach was threatening to throw up food that he didn't remember eating. Even as he turned though, he couldn't see Morgan. Morgan was only a shadow on the wall across from him. Not seeing his friend's face scared him more than any weapon in the world. _

"_I can't see you," Reid weakly said. _

_Morgan didn't move so Reid could see his face. Morgan didn't move at all. His face was covered in blackness, and Reid felt his heart pound against his ribcage. Why wasn't Morgan answering?_

"_Morgan? Say something!" Reid said more loudly._

_Reid shifted again, but still the darkness covered up Morgan's face. Was Morgan already dead? Was Reid left all alone? Reid knew that he needed to stay alive for when his teammates finally did find him, but what if they didn't come? What if Harold kept him alive for years with no chance of salvation? _

"_Good morning to you Doctor Reid," an all too familiar voice said. Reid slowly looked up and saw Harold locking the door behind him. _

"_Harold, please, can you check on Morgan? I think he needs water," Reid whispered. He couldn't help but feel terrified around Harold. Just seeing the man's face sent shivers down his spine. His body was already tightening up, and the burning pains from his rear end never went away. He was scared. _

"_I just read a story in the morning paper about a man dying after he raped a horse. Isn't that interesting? I'm just more curious of how the act was actually done. It seems terribly painful to say the least if I do say so myself. The man died of internal bleeding," Harold said laughing. "The fool wouldn't even tell the doctor why he was bleeding so badly. It was his friend who had to come forward with the truth."_

"_Please Harold, check on Morgan. I'll do anything you want," Reid said. He really would give anything to make sure that his friend got out of there safely. _

"_Now why would I do that? It seems that he is already dead. Good riddance if you ask me. He was nothing more than a bee on my shoulder. He needed to be crushed long ago," Harold said._

_Reid felt his heart drop and his breathing sped up. How could Morgan be dead? He couldn't be dead. Morgan was stronger than Reid was. Harold had to be lying. Reid was trying to think of some way to confront Harold, but his thoughts turned to mush when he saw Harold drop his pants. He couldn't do this anymore. He just couldn't. It hurt so bad, and Harold wouldn't even give him one day to recuperate. _

_Harold released him from the chains that held his arms up and Reid fell to the ground. His arms screamed in agony from being held up for so long, but that wasn't his concern. Harold was wasting no time positioning himself in between Reid's legs and Harold pushed himself in before Reid could comprehend fully what was coming. Reid screamed._

_

* * *

_

Harold smiled politely at the guards walking by to see him, and while he did enjoy the fact that he was a celebrity, he would rather just go back home. He was sure that his house would be a disaster by the time he got back, and who was taking care of Timothy? He was sure that his parents weren't. His mother always hated dogs. Maybe Susan brought his little dog home with her after she got her cheek stitched up. The first thing Harold would do when he got out was bring his dog back home. He missed Timothy almost as much as he missed Reid.

He felt his tummy rumble, but he wasn't going to ask any of the officers for something good. The people around here didn't know how to eat, and he was certain that the smell of the inmates was going to destroy him long before any court system would.

"Harold, honey?"

Harold looked up and saw his mother peering at him from the other side of the bars. Harold didn't get off his bed. He didn't give his mother enough respect to stand up for her. It would be a sight to see with Harold in a hideous prison suit. He wouldn't want God Himself to see Harold dressed like a prisoner. It was disgraceful.

"Good morning mother," Harold said calmly. He wondered what Reid was doing right now. He was probably eating breakfast. It was good that Reid was eating. He was much too skinny.

"We got you another lawyer. This one is much better than the others. He hasn't lost a case yet, and he's already hard at work. You'll like him sweetie."

"I'm sure I will," Harold said back. He wasn't really listening to what she was saying. He was hard to think about anything else besides the young doctor with the cream colored skin.

"We're going to get you out of here before that court date. Just sit tight," she said. Harold smiled at her, but he looked past her into the distance. He couldn't wait to get out of there. He just had so much he needed to do.

_and so now, here we meet again. u the reader and me, the all so infamous review button. one click can change the world. u could enter the matrix with little possibility of ever returning to the real world or you could find yourself in the Shire with frodo baggins before he went through his own mental breakdown or you could find yourself face to face with a real trex who is probably hunting for human blood. or you could find yourself staring a little text box that is eagerly waiting for your words to fill the screen. yay! yes, i am a pisces and yes, i live in my own lil world most of the time. thank u 4 asking...now review! pweez _


	40. Chapter 40

_hi guys! its me! can u believe its been a month since my last update? i cant believe it either. school has been killing me, of course, but thats 2 b expected i guess. but thats not really the reason for my delay in updating. my poor little dog drown in our backyard pool exactly one week ago 2day. he was 15 years old, and i grew up with him. we went through puberty together. i stuck him outside after our walk, and when i went to let him in after dinner, he was floating in the damned pool. he was gone and my heart is broken. he wasnt sick or anything. it was dark outside, and he just took one wrong step and now he is gone forever. and i think im going to be replaying finding him floating for the rest of my life. if i had checked on him even 5 minutes b4 i did, i could have saved him so ya. not feeling 2 great and i dont know if i will again. ive lost four pets since september. God is just being mean 2 me right now =( anyways, on with the story. um, the opinions expressed by nikki and james are not my opinions so plz dont send me mean letters cuz my characters r mean. _

Garcia was happy to get away from Mr. Reid. She really didn't like being questioned by anyone, and she almost felt like she was getting attacked by Reid's dad. When was all of this going to be over? It seemed like a century ago when she was trapped in the little room that she called her own surrounded by her computers and colorful toys. Hospitals were not a place on Garcia's vacation choices.

She knew how upset Morgan had to be waking up back in his own room again. All of them were woken up this morning by a nurse who was concerned how Morgan's scratches would be healing with him sitting in a wheelchair all night long. Garcia had a hard time sleeping anyway. She knew that the rest of the team always expected her to be the least stressed out in the situation, but how could she be when two of her closest friends were suffering? It seemed like every hour that one of them cried out in their sleep from demons only they could see. Garcia was the only one who pretended to be asleep. She could see the rest of them staring at each other, but no one said a word. When daylight finally came, J.J. was the lucky person to actually get some shut eye. Being the youngest member next to Reid, this case took a lot out of her. She was asleep minutes after getting comfortable by a pillow.

She didn't really want to leave after the five of them officially woke up. It seemed like she just got there, and Hotch was already ushering her away to get breakfast. Garcia wasn't going to go until J.J. volunteered to go with her. Garcia made sure to give Reid a big kiss on his cheek before she went downstairs, but he didn't flinch. She couldn't wait for him to wake up again, but what would happen then? Would the memories of what happened eventually overwhelm him? Would the childlike spirit that she loved about him disappear? She didn't want to think about it. When she finished breakfast, she was going shopping. It wouldn't be fair to smother Morgan's bed with furry friends while Reid's bed stayed plain. She would concentrate on pretty boy's nails later.

"Did you sleep?" J.J. blandly asked. She poured a bowl of cereal which almost made Garcia regret the waffles on her plate.

"Kinda," Garcia lied. "Did you?"

"I don't really remember," J.J. said. "Is that a good thing?"

Garcia chose a table, and looked down at her food. For the first time in her life, she wasn't really hungry. The waffles didn't look as appetizing now that they were sitting in front of her. There was just so much that she needed to do. She wanted to help more than she was. Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss were getting rid to send Harold to prison for the rest of his life, J.J. had to handle all of the press, and so Garcia knew that she needed to be there for Morgan and Reid whenever they were awake. All of them had decided last night, after Morgan fell asleep, that neither one of them should ever be left alone.

"I think that's a good thing. Are you going to say something to the reporters today?" Garcia asked. She stuck a piece of the waffle in her mouth, but she couldn't bring herself to swallow. The food tasted like metal.

"I have to tell them something. I can still see them outside. In fact, I think there's more today. I haven't watched the news yet though. I don't really want to know what they're saying anymore. I know everything they are saying isn't good news," J.J. said.

"What are you going to tell them?"

"I don't know. I'll ask Hotch what he wants me to tell them, but probably just that the suspect is in custody and that both of the agents will live as well as the woman found in the house," J.J. replied. She took a bite of her cereal, but Garcia knew that she wasn't hungry either.

"Think that will make them back away?"

"Of course not," J.J. exclaimed. "They are going to keep at this for as long as they possibly can, and longer." J.J. put her spoon down, and pushed the bowl of cereal away.

"Come to the hospital store thing with me," Garcia said standing up. "I need to get Reid's bed full of stuffed animals just like Morgan's is. You can help me pick out Reid's furry friends."

"Do you really think he wants his bed covered in stuffed animals?"

"Yes," Garcia said smiling.

"Alright, I'm up for that. We can surprise Reid when he wakes up," J.J. said.

"And then, when both of the boys are all better, we can go on a long vacation that includes cruises and cakes," Garcia replied. She appreciated J.J.'s laugh, but for some reason, the situation still didn't feel any lighter. The bad guy who hurt her boys was still alive, and he was still asking about Reid. She pushed that thought far from her mind with her waffles, and led the way out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Nikki sat on her bed surrounded by her friends. After breaking the news of what Harold told her, it had become quiet in her room. No one really knew what to say. What did Harold really mean when he asked to get rid of the agents for him? He couldn't possibly mean kill them. Did he want her to scare them or talk them out taking Harold to court? Nikki was still a teenager. She didn't think that she could talk a federal agent out of doing anything.

"So what's the plan guys?" Nikki quietly asked. The two other girls in their group were looking at their nails, and Nikki wished she were doing the same. What had she gotten herself into? The boys looked like they actually were thinking of some kind of plan. They were all older than her, and even though they never graduated high school, she respected them. She knew that they were smarter than she was in more ways than one.

"Well, we've got to get in that hospital first," Jude finally said. Jude was the oldest one of them, and because of that, they never questioned what he had to say. "We use the girls as a distraction to get into the hospital. The two hurt agents are probably being guarded by the cops or other agents or something so that might be a problem." Jude stood up, and looked out the window. None of the others spoke up. "We just might need a distraction to drive everyone else away from the rooms. What were their names again?"

"Agent Morgan and Agent Reid," Nikki said from memory alone. The news hasn't left this story alone since they first found out about the missing agents. Nikki was slightly surprised that Jude forgot their names. Maybe he was just testing them.

"Can you find out the names of the other team members Nikki?" Jude asked.

"Um, I think so. We've already seen some of them on the news. There's a blonde girl, and a dude with black hair. I don't know their names, but I can find out for sure," Nikki replied.

"This will be easy guys. We just get into the hospital while the other agents are busy or away or something. All we need is a few minutes," Jude said.

"What are you going to do?" Ashley asked. Nikki couldn't believe that Ashley was questioning Jude, but she kept quiet. Didn't Ashley understand that they were doing all of this for Harold? Harold was innocent of all the charges brought against him by the evil government. The government and feds were always trying to take away people's rights and tell people what to believe and what not to believe.

"We're just going to make sure that the agents keep their big mouths shut. That's all," Jude said smiling. "Nikki, how long until you find out everyone's names?"

"Give me an hour or so," Nikki said. She always knew her toe injury would be good for something. It seemed like just yesterday that she had rammed her toe into the side of the door, and while it had stopped bleeding long ago, it was starting to turn green. There couldn't be a better excuse to visit the emergency room than that. She would have perfect reason to be there, and find out the names of the people who were trying to hurt Harold.

* * *

Prentiss sat alone with Reid, and she had a hard time looking at the young genius without blaming herself for everything that happened to him. She should have known that Morgan would have put his guard down once Reid fell asleep. If she told Rossi about the picture Morgan sent her, maybe they could have gone over there and prevented any of this from happening. She hated looking at the bandages covering their youngest member, and she really didn't know what was stopping her from killing Harold in cold blood for what he did to Morgan and Reid.

She nearly had a heart attack when she heard noise from behind her. She stood up, and almost drew out her gun when she saw Garcia coming in with Morgan. Garcia had somehow coaxed Morgan back into a wheelchair, but both of them looked like they were having a great time. She was just happy that neither one saw her reach for her gun. Garcia parked Morgan right to next to Reid, and she kissed him on the cheek.

"How is he doing?" Garcia asked.

"He hasn't woken up yet if that's what you mean," Prentiss said. She looked at Reid's face, and was grateful that he looked peaceful. "He hasn't been having nightmares this morning."

"He's going to be so excited then when he wakes up and sees his surprise!" Garcia squealed.

"Garcia, what did you get him?" Prentiss asked. She looked around, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary in Reid's room. Garcia just smiled. "Seriously, what did you get him?"

"Surprises, surprises!" Garcia chimed. "You'll see."

"Where's J.J.?" Prentiss asked. She knew that they were having breakfast together when Hotch went to check up on Reid's dad.

"With the surprise," Garcia replied. "I'll go help her now. I just wanted to make sure Morgan was here when I brought it up."

Prentiss looked over at Morgan who shrugged. She did regret watching those tapes with Hotch and Rossi. Whenever she saw Reid's sleeping face, all she could think of was Harold standing over them making Reid scream. Those images were ones that she could not easily brush away, and even though Morgan was sitting in front of her with a sparkle in his eyes, his body still barred the scars that his team couldn't save him from.

"Don't look at me," Morgan said smiling. "She's doing this all on her own."

"Right I am," Garcia replied. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!" Garcia warned Morgan. She hurried out of the room, and Prentiss didn't look back at Morgan until they couldn't hear the clicks of Garcia's heels anymore. Morgan was already holding Reid's hand, but the only movement from Reid was his chest rising and falling from each breath.

"How are you holding up?" Prentiss asked. She sat down in a chair beside him, and both of them watched Reid sleep.

"I don't know," Morgan said. "Better than Reid I guess. You guys won't ever really know what this kid went through. He fought so hard…for both of us."

Prentiss vowed the second after watching the tapes that she would never tell Morgan or Reid that she saw them. No good would come out of telling them that she watched them in the most horrific moments in their lives. She wasn't even planning on telling J.J. what she saw.

"Reid is getting better. He hasn't been having any nightmares, and he's not tossing and turning as much. Both of you are getting better," Prentiss said. She wanted to believe that herself.

"Agents?" a nurse asked looking in the doorway.

"Yes?" Prentiss answered. She stood up, and tried to look as calm as possible. She didn't sleep last night, and this was the first real talk she was having with one of the boys, and it looked like she was going to get called away.

"A woman is here, and she is insisting on speaking with one of you," the nurse replied. "She said it has to do with the case."

"I'll talk with her," Prentiss finally said. "I'll be back Morgan." Prentiss followed the nurse, but she felt bad about leaving them alone. They weren't really alone though. They had each other.

Prentiss got a bad feeling in her stomach when the nurse led her into the waiting room. She saw a familiar woman pacing near the front doors. The moment she saw Prentiss, the woman ran towards them.

"Thank God you're here. I went to the station, but they said that you guys weren't there. My name is Anne, and I'm Markus' sister and…you were there. You were there that night. You were there when that horrible man murdered my brother," Anne said in one breath.

"Yes ma'am," Prentiss said. She ushered for Anne to follow her, and they both sat down near the corner of the room. "What can I do to help you?"

"I want to know what's going on. My son has been asking what happened back there, and he is very concerned about what happened to his uncle. Maybe I can help or something?"

Prentiss really wished the nurse had found Hotch or J.J. instead of her. She really didn't say. She didn't hear anything about Hotch or Rossi wanting to talk to Markus' sister. They didn't really study that much on Markus either. Their main concern quickly became Reid and Morgan, and they probably weren't going to do much until they made sure the entire team was safe.

"We could give you a call if we need anything else. Harold is awaiting trial, and I think his parents are getting him another lawyer. I'm sure we are going to be using you as a witness if you're up for it. You're the one who called the police, right?"

"Yeah. I was going there to surprise Markus. He had been worried about me for a while, ever since the murders started," Anne began. "I guess he knew that I was never going to be the one who got hurt. He never wanted me to come. I know why. Markus didn't need to die. I'm sure he was trying to stop Harold."

If Markus was trying to stop Harold, he was trying too late. Prentiss and J.J. had talked to that guy while Reid was tied up in that house, and Markus didn't say a thing. He knew, but he didn't say one word to help save Reid. Prentiss was going to have to talk to the woman who was tied up next to Reid. She was still conscious when Markus was murdered. She knows what happened.

"I'm sure he was," Prentiss said slowly. "Harold is an evil man."

"What happened to the people that he abducted? I know my poor brother was killed, but I know there was a woman in there too and one of your agents."

"The woman is doing just fine. All she wanted to do was make sure her son was safe. Harold had her son, but both of them are happy to be together again, and Agent Reid is doing much better."

"Good, that's good," Anne mumbled. "Where is Markus' body at?"

"They're keeping him for an autopsy," Prentiss said. "Then I can get his body delivered wherever you want him."

"I'm going to have to save up for a proper burial," Anne said. "I'm going to have to head back home tonight. I can't afford to stay in the hotel for another night. Funerals are expensive these days, and Markus deserves a good funeral. He was a hero."

"We can probably help with the funeral," Prentiss said without thinking. She immediately regretted saying it. Hotch would never want to help out with this guy's funeral. He was just as responsible for what happened to Markus and Reid as Harold was. In fact, Markus was probably more responsible. Harold is crazy, but Markus wasn't. Any money spent would come out of Prentiss' own pocket.

"Thank you so much!" Anne said. She shook Prentiss' hand, and smiled from ear to ear. "You do not know how grateful I am. This is the kindest thing that anyone has ever done for me."

Prentiss just weakly smiled back.

"I need to go and call some of our friends so that they can attend his funeral. We grew up Catholic so it's going to be in a nice church somewhere. I have some planning to do, and I'm sure the nurse is sick of watching my children, but thank you again!"

Prentiss watched Anne retrieve her children from one of the nurses, and she waved back when Anne smiled again at her. Prentiss felt good for helping the poor woman, but she didn't feel like giving Anne money out of her own pocket. Prentiss turned around once Anne was outside, but she saw someone sneaking around behind her back. Prentiss spotted a young girl walking down of the hallways. Experience told her that this was a sneaky photographer trying to get another picture of Morgan and Reid. She walked right up to the younger woman, and stopped her in her tracks. The other woman looked surprised to say the least.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Prentiss demanded. She was going to protect her boys as long as she could.

"My name is Cassandra," the girl meekly replied. "I'm here because I hurt my toe." She motioned down to her toe. Prentiss looked down at it, but had to look away. The nail on top of one of her big toes was a greenish blue. It wasn't pleasant to look at.

"Sorry," Prentiss said. "I thought you were someone else."

"Are you one of the agents? What's your name?" the girl quickly asked. "I've been following your story on the news!"

"I'm Agent Prentiss," Prentiss said smiling. "It's nice to meet you Cassandra."

"Are the agents who got hurt goin be alright? What's their condition?"

"Both of them are going to be just fine," Prentiss said. She thought it was odd that a young girl wanted to know all of this, but it was alright. "I've got to go now, but I hope that toe of yours gets better. It's pretty nasty!"

"Thanks!" the girl replied. Prentiss turned around to find Hotch. She needed to tell him about Anne's visit when Prentiss noticed something. She saw Cassandra writing something down on a pad of paper out of the corner of her eye. She turned around to find out what Cassandra was writing down, but the girl was gone. It must be something for homework. Cassandra was around high school age, and she might have hurt that toe doing a sport. Prentiss was just being paranoid.

* * *

Morgan felt tears forming in his eyes whenever he looked at Reid. He just couldn't get the horrible images and flashbacks out of his head. It was hard to even look at Reid's hands without thinking back to Reid's hands clenching in fists as he was raped in front of Morgan. He was crying out for help, and all Morgan could do was watch.

Morgan thought it was another dream when he saw Reid stretch out his fingers. He touched Reid's fingers, and felt his heart start to pound when he realized he wasn't dreaming. Reid turned his head, and Morgan saw Reid's eyes moving around underneath his eyelids. Morgan held onto Reid's hand. When Reid woke up, he wasn't going to be scared or wonder if Harold would be walking in at any given moment. Reid was safe now.

Reid took a deep breath, and blinked his eyes open. The first thing he saw was Morgan smiling at him. Morgan made sure of it, and with Reid positioned on his side, that was easy to do. Reid took a few uneven breaths as he took in his surroundings, and it wasn't long before Morgan felt Reid's hands start to shake.

"It's okay pretty boy. It's okay. It's over," Morgan said gently. Morgan watched Reid nervously lick his lips in an attempt to hold off his tears, but they came anyway. Drops of water fell from Reid's eyes, but he didn't burst out in a fit. He kept hold of Morgan's hand.

"What happened to Harold?" Reid finally managed to ask.

"Harold is in jail," Morgan said with confidence.

"And Markus?"

"Markus is dead. Remember that little dog, Timothy? Garcia felt sorry for him and adopted him, but I guess it's not really the dog's fault for having a horrible owner," Morgan said.

Reid looked around the hospital room, and looked at his own bandages covering up his wrists.

"How bad was everything? Is my back...alright?" Reid asked.

Morgan looked at Reid's back, and felt horrible because he knew that Reid liked to sleep on his back. Reid shouldn't have had to go through all of this. He was just a kid.

"Your back is okay. You really scared everyone back there. We thought we were going to lose you kid. Do you hurt anywhere?" Morgan wanted to know if Reid was still in pain from his sexual assaults from Harold. Morgan couldn't even remember how many time Reid had to endure rape, and he was sure that Reid was raped again after Morgan left. It broke Morgan's heart. He should have been the one to go through that.

"I can handle it," Reid simply said.

"Don't do this to yourself again Reid. I was there too. I know," Morgan said slowly.

Reid looked towards the door to make sure no one else was coming in before he answered.

"It hurts. It feels like I'm on fire. I can still feel him," Reid said. Morgan felt Reid's breath rapidly speeding up, and his hand was getting cold.

"Reid? Reid? Stay with me," Morgan called out. Morgan was rubbing Reid's hands as fast as he could to try to keep his younger friend there with him. Harold was gone, and yet, he was still managing to inflict pain wherever his name was mentioned. Harold needed to burn in hell for this. In fact, hell was probably too good for Harold.

"Reid! Come on kid, wake up," Morgan shouted, but Reid was gone. His head fell back on his pillow, and his eyes slammed shut. Morgan felt his chair getting wheeled away as two nurses crowded around Reid's bed. Morgan didn't say anything as he was led out of the room, but his heart fell when he saw all of those people working on Reid.

"The doctor said that it was going to be like this," Rossi said. "Reid has a lot to go through, but we're here for him."

"How can we make Reid forget that he was raped?" Morgan asked.

* * *

Nikki wandered around the waiting room, and she couldn't believe her luck with an agent running into her like that. She wondered who Prentiss thought she was, but she didn't really care. She scribbled Prentiss' name down next to Agent Jennifer Jareau. Nikki remembered the little blonde from all of the news broadcasts, and she was lucky enough that Agent Jareau said her name with every broadcast. Agents Reid and Morgan were the liars claiming that Harold hurt them, and so that was four agents right there. She wondered how many were in a team. She was about to go down another hallway when she heard a familiar voice. She looked up, and couldn't believe her luck when she saw Agent Jareau coming out of the hospital gift shop.

"I don't think all of this is even allowed in his room," Agent Jareau complained. Nikki would have to agree. The little blonde was holding four large stuffed dogs in her arms, and each of them were holding little hearts with words of well wishes written on them. The woman next to her was holding five stuffed elephants with large trunks and tiny feet. Nikki just wanted to watch the women fall over. That would make her day.

"I think it is, and if it isn't, don't tell anyone," the other blonde said. Nikki took a deep breath, and approached the women who were leaving the store.

"Hi guys. Need some help?" Nikki asked. Agent Jareau set the stuffed animals down, and looked Nikki up and down. This was almost as bad as Agent Prentiss almost attacking her.

"Who are you?" Agent Jareau asked. The other blonde stumbled up beside Jareau, but she didn't say anything.

"My name is Cassandra, and I was going to visit my brother when I saw you guys. I know how awful it is to carry all this stuff around, and so I just wanted to know if you needed help. Aren't you that lady from the news? One of the agents?" Nikki asked.

"Yes," Jareau said slowly. Nikki couldn't believe how she was being incriminated. These agents were really protective of their liars upstairs.

"My name is Cassandra Dollanager, and I live around here. I can't believe that something this bad happened in my town!" Nikki exclaimed. Nikki held her breath as Jareau opened her mouth to talk when her phone buzzed. The little blonde looked at her phone, and back at the other agent.

"I have to go," she said suddenly. She showed the heavier blonde a text on her phone, and walked off without another word to Nikki.

"Sorry about that," the other blonde said after Agent Jareau was gone. "We've been going through a rough time. My name is Penelope Garcia," she said. She stretched out her hand, and shook hands with Nikki.

"Are you an agent too?"

"Well, yes, I'm part of the team. I do all of the computer savy stuff. You can help carry all of this upstairs with me. He's going to be so surprised!" Agent Garcia said.

"Hold on then," Nikki said. "Just let me text my mom so she'll know where I am."

Agent Garcia smiled and nodded.

Nikki turned around, and started typing away on her cell phone. _Agent Jennifer Jareau- little blonde who talks on news. Agent Prentiss- black hair, pale, not very nice, suspicious (threat?) Agent Garcia- chubby blonde, dresses weird, no threat. _Nikki made sure that Agent Garcia wasn't watching, and then she sent the text over to Jude. She got a reply less than a minute later from Jude wondering if there was more agents. Nikki really didn't know, but she assumed that there were. They couldn't have just two guy agents on a team. That would be stupid. She texted him back telling him that she was with Agent Garcia, and that Garcia liked to talk. She would find out if there were more team members.

* * *

James sat in front of his computer, and he was scribbling down notes every minute until his hand hurt. He found out that Derek Morgan was sexually abused as a child by an older man in the neighborhood, and that Derek's father was murdered when Derek was a little boy. Spencer Reid also came from an unusual family situation with his father leaving the family when he was a child, and his mother was living in a hospital suffering from schizophrenia. It was going to be a lot easier than James originally thought to make a case against them.

Samantha would be harder to go against, but even she wasn't perfect. She was getting good grades in school, and she was captain of the cheerleading team, but she was already getting a long history of boys. She was no innocent virgin that her daddy was making her out to be. Clayton Morrison was a fine young man with a lot of promise for his future. He got excellent grades in college, and he was working towards a P.H.D. All of this would be hard with James to work with until he found out that Clayton was a homosexual. James would argue that Clayton was into all of that bondage stuff or that he was threatening Harold to do it against his will.

James packed his notes into his bag, and he was confident in the success of the case. His own father would be so proud of him if he could see him now. All that was left to do was to sit down with Harold, and find out what exactly his client wanted. He kept the television off during his research so he wouldn't have an already formed opinion of Harold before he met him. He didn't even know what the man looked like or if he was indeed guilty of the horrid crimes. Like most lawyers, James hoped that Harold was innocent, but he was going to have to work with this man either way. He heard that they were pushing for a trial date. James didn't have a lot of time.

_so yes, this was the first update after the loss of a dear friend, but hopefully, updates will come faster. they will especially come faster if you guys CLICK on that REVIEW button and REVIEW. something clever 2 say 2 make u guys review...hmm...um, my birthday is comin up? its the day after matthew gray gubler's birthday which is the same as paget brewster's birthday so go me! um...still thinking..something funny...how about a most awsum quote instead? "i wish the ring had never come to me. i wish none of this had happened." "so do all who live to see such times, but it is not for them to decide." and then gandalf goes onto say it is up to us to do with the time that is given or somthing. it was a deep quote but its late and ya. REVIEW! pweez xoxo_


	41. Chapter 41

_i wrote this chapter like last night and today. i thought u guys deserved another chapter lol. i brought back another character that most of u guys missed and i guess shes not going anywhere for a while. james finally gets to meet harold and morgan gets a nice lil surprise that he needs. its a nice feel good chapter i think. what do u guys want nikki and her lil crew do? want her to be an actual threat to reid and morgan or want her to be a stupid teenager who has no idea what shes doing? lots of u guys liked jude which is awsum cuz i made him up n like a second. i saw a picture of jude law on my wall and i was like, yep, his name is jude. it sounds like a religious kinda name so it was perfect for judes character. and thank u for all ur well wishes for my dearly departed friend. its been 9 days since i found him floating in that EVIL pool and i dont think ill ever get over it. on with the story!_

J.J. hurried outside, and covered her face from the flashing cameras. Why would they want her picture? She would never understand that, and she was glad when she finally spotted Hotch near the street. It was far enough away from the hospital that the reporters wouldn't bother them, but she hated being away from the hospital with Morgan and Reid still needing her.

"What's up?" J.J. asked. She looked around, almost expecting some clown to pop out of a bush and frighten her. Why else would Hotch want her out there?

"Morgan's mother and sisters are almost here. They caught a plane the second they found out what happened," Hotch said.

"Does Morgan know?" J.J. asked. She felt her spirits lifting. This was wonderful news!

"Not yet. I thought it would be a good surprise," Hotch replied with a twinkle in his eye. "I was going to run over to the police station. There's a new lawyer that's going to represent Harold, and so I was heading over there to get a look at him. I'm sure he has no idea what he's in for."

"Morgan is going to be thrilled. He needs this," J.J. said. Reid needed something too. Maybe J.J. could get his mother to the hospital for a visit. She didn't think him seeing his father would do much good at all. She was really hoping that he would wake up later that day. She hadn't seen him since Garcia dragged her away at breakfast, and she was disappointed when Hotch texted her. She wanted to go check on Reid. She didn't really trust that young girl with Garcia.

"I think I'll get Rossi or Prentiss to go to the station with me. Tell me immediately if there is any change in Reid's condition or if the paparazzi sneak back in," Hotch said. He looked up at a taxi driving up, and J.J. waved to the Morgan family in the back seat. They looked excited to be there, and J.J. imagined that the family didn't get out much. Hotch looked towards the hospital, and the twinkle disappeared from his eyes.

"What's wrong?" J.J. immediately asked.

"It's going to be a challenge to get them into the hospital without getting attacked. I'll walk through the front to get Rossi or Prentiss, and you can take Morgan's family in the back entrance. I'm sure it was a long flight," Hotch said.

"Agent Hotchner!" Ms. Morgan exclaimed. J.J. smiled as the older woman hugged tightly onto Hotch. Morgan's two sisters were getting out of the taxi holding small suitcases. "How have you been? Is your son doing well?"

"Jack is doing just fine," Hotch replied. "How about you?"

"Same old, same old," Ms. Morgan said. She turned around to J.J. and wrapped her in the same hug she gave Hotch. "I'm so terrible with names. Can you remind me again?"

"J.J. How was your flight?" J.J. looked at Morgan's sisters, and offered to help them with their suitcases. Sarah gladly handed hers over.

"It was terrible, just terrible. I never knew flight attendants could be so rude!" Ms. Morgan complained. She probably would have continued her story if both of her daughters were not staring at her. "Anyway, how is Derek doing?"

"We haven't been able to watch much of the news," Sarah explained. "We left right after we called Agent Hotchner."

"You're not missing much," J.J. said. "They're just making stuff up. They're really good at that."

"Your son is doing much better," Hotch said. "He's going to be thrilled to see you."

"Well then, let's go. What are we waiting for?" Desiree said. She started walking toward the crowd when J.J. stopped her.

"We have to go through the back," J.J. said. "Those photographers already hurt somebody just trying to get a stupid picture. Hotch will go through the front to distract them. Just stay close to me." J.J. nodded at Hotch, and he headed for the front door. J.J. motioned for the Morgans to follow her, and she trotted against the parking lot until they were safely behind the building. She was actually surprised that all three of them caught up with her. She looked over towards the entrance, and felt bad for Hotch. He wasn't anywhere near the door yet.

"Whew! That was fun!" Sarah said. She started laughing with her sister, but their mother looked solemn. She looked up at the hospital, and touched the wall.

"None of my babies ever need to be in here," she quietly said.

"Come on, I'll take you upstairs," J.J. said. J.J. led them through the hallways, and took the elevator to the floor that Morgan and Reid were in. None of them spoke until the elevator doors closed. Desiree put her bags down, and stretched out her arms.

"So Derek doesn't know we're coming?" Desiree asked.

"Nope. I didn't know until a few minutes ago," J.J. admitted. "I can't wait to see his face when he sees you guys. It's going to be priceless."

"Who else got hurt? We never found out," Sarah said.

"Reid," J.J. slowly said. She avoided their gaze. She didn't want anymore people blaming or accusing her for what happened. She got enough of that from the reporters.

"Oh my God…the skinny one?" Desiree asked.

"The kid?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," J.J. simply said. She didn't want to go into anymore details. She had to go through them enough every morning.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Ms. Morgan asked. J.J. felt the older woman's eyes on her, and she didn't know what to say.

"We were looking for a serial killer, and everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. You can have Morgan, Derek, tell you the rest."

"But," Desiree started. Ms. Morgan put her hand over Desiree's mouth, and J.J. relaxed.

"Don't pressure her. This young lady has been through enough lately. I really hope you are alright," Ms. Morgan continued. She put her hand on J.J.'s shoulder. "I cannot imagine something terrible like that happening to my friends, and I know that the people you work with are more than just co-workers or friends. They really are your family, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are," J.J. said. She didn't really mean to get into a very personal conversation with Morgan's mother, and so she was very glad when the elevator doors opened. "This way." She led them down to more hallways, but she stopped in her tracks when she saw Rossi and Morgan outside of Reid's room. She could see several nurses running in and out of the room, and J.J. felt sick. She probably would have just stood there if Rossi didn't look up. She snapped out of it when he smiled at her.

"Morgan!" J.J. called. She smiled wide when Morgan looked at her. "Guess who's here!"

Morgan's eyes lit up with recognition as his mother and sisters ran towards him. J.J. didn't mind being left with all of the bags. Morgan's arms, still all bandaged up, wrapped tightly around his mother. His sisters were crying out with joy, and Rossi slowly walked over to J.J. Morgan's laughs were all that J.J. needed to feel better.

"I didn't know they were coming," Rossi whispered.

"Neither did I," J.J. said. It felt wrong to talk during their sentimental reunion, but J.J. needed to know what was happening in Reid's room. She loved watching Morgan talk with his sisters, but J.J.'s eyes kept getting drawn back to the commotion with Reid. "What happened to Reid?"

"I'm not sure exactly," Rossi said. "Reid finally woke up, and I waited out here. He was talking to Morgan when he passed out."

"Is he alright?"

"I'm sure he's going to be just fine. It's very traumatic waking up from something like that. I'm guessing that he was talking about what happened with Morgan so he's reliving it in a way."

"How is that alright?" J.J. asked. That wasn't alright to her. She wanted him to better now. She knew she was acting immature, but she wasn't used to all of this.

"It's perfectly normal. He'll get through this. Just give him time. I think we should let him talk to Susan once he's feeling better."

J.J. thought in her head for a minute. She couldn't remember who Susan was, but then it hit her. Susan was the woman chained to the wall when they finally rescued Reid.

"Why her?"

"She was there with Reid when Morgan left. I'm going to see if I can find her. I'm sure she is still here. Hotch will probably want to talk with her too when she is up for it. She saw Markus get murdered. I'm sure that's on those tapes as well," Rossi commented.

"Are you going to finish watching those?" J.J. asked. J.J. had no wanting or need to see what was on those tapes. She already knew.

"I don't know yet," Rossi said after a moment of silence. "I really don't know if I can."

* * *

James piled up all of the information that he found out about the names given to him into his car. It was going to be hard to defend Harold just because of the conditions that most of the bodies were found in. Samantha was missing her tongue, and she was tied under a table. James didn't think he could even try to argue self defense in that one. He pulled up to the station, but he wasn't surprised when he saw people rallying outside. Nobody knew that he was working as Harold's lawyer yet so he needed to use his time wisely. He covered his face up with a hat and large sunglasses as he walked into the station.

About four officers surrounded him only moments after removing his sunglasses. He was taken back at first, but this is how it was when involving celebrity cases or popular murderers.

"James McCartney. I am the lawyer who will be representing Harold Caldwell," James said proudly.

"ID please," one of the officers demanded. James pulled out his wallet, and let the officer examine his driver's license from top to bottom. After a small eternity, his ID was finally returned. "This way."

James ignored all of the petty criminal peering out of their bars as he organized the papers in his briefcase. He reviewed all of the points that he was going to go over with Harold, and he wondered what Harold's parents told him about James. The officer stopped at one of the cells, and James looked up.

Harold was sitting very calmly on the bench in the cell, but he wasn't looking at James or the officer. He was just staring at the wall. The officer unlocked the cell to let James inside, but he slammed in shut again before James even sat down. James hated hearing the lock seal around the bars. Being in a jail cell next to a man being blamed for several murders was never on James' list of things to do before he died.

"Mind if I sit here?" James asked the man sitting across from him. Harold nodded, and so James sat rather uncomfortably on the floor. Harold wasn't really what he imagined him to look like. He looked more like his mother than his father, and he was just about James's age. He had European features with a smaller nose and light eyes. In fact, he would be a rather good looking man if his hair was washed and he was wearing something other than a jail jumpsuit.

"My name is James McCartney, and I'll be representing you in court," James said. He paused for Harold to introduce himself, but Harold said nothing. It was a rather eerie feeling with Harold staring down at him, but James continued. "I was going over the case files, and it's going to be hard, but I think we can win this one. The only real witnesses that we are going to need to deal with are Susan Irving, Derek Morgan, and Spencer Reid." James laid out their pictures for Harold to see, and Harold grabbed Spencer's picture.

"He's beautiful, isn't he? His skin was so soft, but he was such a delicate creature. He needed to be cared for more than the others. Is he doing much better in the hospital?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that," James said loudly.

"How old are you James?" Harold asked. Harold leaned forward, and James could smell his breath which was a freaky experience. James had never been freaked out by a client before.

"I'm 34 years old, but we're getting past the point. We need to start working on your defense."

"Just a little bit older than the young doctor," Harold said. "Did you grow up with both of your parents or just one? Do you have any siblings? Are any of them still alive?"

"Okay, this is getting way off topic Mr. Caldwell. We're here to discuss options to save your life, not my family. I'm going to need you to work with me here."

"I think you do need to start using a new kind of shampoo James. Your hair doesn't smell pleasant, and I have spotted a few flakes near your scalp."

James immediately moved his hands to his head to brush away any flakes or dirt that caught in his hair. He washed in hair last night so he knew it was clean. He immediately felt embarrassed when he saw Harold was still smiling at him.

"Okay, I know what other lawyers would do in this case. They would drop you, but I'm not going to because I have confidence in this case. I'm just going to ignore all of the creepy things you just said, and move on. Sound good?"

"I've always been a Christian man. I used to go to mass on Sundays every weekend, but my terribly busy life has prevented me from going for many weeks. I think I should go to confession for this grave sin. You are never supposed to miss mass," Harold said.

"Okay," James said. He sighed, and put the pictures back in his folder. "Let's start over because this isn't working out like I planned. My name is James McCartney. What's yours?"

* * *

Rossi walked down the hallway that the nurse told him to follow to find Susan. He was grateful that she was still here. Apparently, the whip lash on her cheek had become infected, but she was doing well other than that. Susan really could be a key to Reid's recovery. Rossi had only seen her once before, but Reid called out her name many times in his dreams. Rossi found her room easily, she wasn't that far away from the guys, and he knocked on her door.

It took a moment, but a young woman answered the door. She had her blonde hair down around her shoulders, and a huge bandage took over half of her face. Other than that, she looked healthy as could be. She smile at him, and opened the door wider so he could come him.

"Hell, officer?" She reached out her hand to shake his.

"Hi Ms. Irving," Rossi said shaking her hand.

"Oh no, call me Susan. Ms. Irving makes me sound old. Come in!" She walked over to the bed, and he sat on a chair next to the bed.

"My name is Agent Rossi. I'm just stopping by to see how you're doing," he said. He looked around the room, and was happy to see her room was just as decorated as Morgan's was. She had more balloons than Morgan did, and Rossi spotted hand drawn cards by Susan's beside.

"I'm doing great. This cheek hurts like hell, but they're giving me pain medication. They're goin send me home once they make sure it doesn't get infected again. You were there when me and the agent were rescued, weren't you?" Susan asked.

"Yes, I was there with the rest of the team," Rossi answered. She did have good memory. Rossi barely remembered his last birthday.

"Yeah, you didn't say much to me. I think you were dealing with the monster. How is the agent that found me? She had dark hair. She was so nice. I remember that I was like out of it, but she figured out how to get me out of those chains. She didn't want to leave me alone until she made sure that I was alright. I can't thank her enough," Susan said smiling. "Because of her, I got to see my son again."

"Her name is Emily Prentiss, and she is a very strong woman. I can get her to come meet with you later today if you want," Rossi said. He was sure that Prentiss would just love to talk with Susan.

"How is Agent Reid doing?" Susan quietly asked.

"He's not doing as well that I would have hoped," Rossi confessed.

"I can imagine. He didn't look that good back in that bastard's house. He was so brave though. I think he was a lot braver than I was. I was just so afraid that Andy was going to get hurt. Is there anything I can do to help?" Susan asked.

"Could you see him later today if he's up for it? I think it would be good for him to see you again," Rossi said.

"Of course. I've wanted to see him again. You guys probably wouldn't have even found me if he wasn't there too. He was just a sweetie. I couldn't believe how that asshole kept picking on the poor kid. He sure didn't like it when I brought up the fact that he was a coward. God, I hope that guy gets the electric chair. I want to be there when they pull the switch that ends that man's life," Susan muttered.

"I think all of us do," Rossi said smiling. "Did you see what happened when the butler died? I think that was right before we showed up."

"Markus? He was something else. Like, he wanted to help us but he didn't. He kept checking on Agent Reid to make sure he was still alive, but he didn't do anything else really. That last day, I think he was trying to help. It was hard to tell. The lights went off. I think Harold was trying to rape Agent Reid or something when Markus stopped him. I think that's why Harold killed him. There was some kind of a struggle, and then you guys broke in," Susan said.

Rossi could tell that Susan was off in her own world now, remembering all of the things that Rossi couldn't see. She was going through a struggle of her own very similar to Morgan's and Reid's. She was going to need counseling too.

"Well, I guess it was good that Markus was trying to help in the end," Rossi commented.

"He was just as bad as Harold was. Agent Reid was so sick. He could barely talk, and he didn't care that Andy needed his mother. I'm all he has. If something happened to my son," Susan trailed off. Tears were filling her eyes, and Rossi offered her a hug. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to my baby."

"From what I've heard, Harold really likes children. That's a rather creepy fact for you to know," Rossi said. "Andy was telling the interviewers that Harold made him waffles and was offering to give him a toy train."

"I love Andy so much," Susan finally said pulling away. "When do you want me to talk to Agent Reid? I'll have Andy make him a card. Do you think he'll like that?"

"I'm sure he'll love that," Rossi said. Reid needed as much support as he could get it. "I could have Agent Prentiss come get you later today if Agent Reid is well enough to talk."

"Is he still having the nightmares?" Susan asked.

"Yes, he is," Rossi replied.

"I've been getting them every single time I close eyes," Susan said slowly. "Agent Reid did help me. I kept thinking, if this kid still has the hope that we're going to get rescued, I should too. I couldn't give up, and he was right. We did get rescued."

"The world needs more people like you and Reid in the world," Rossi said getting up. "It was nice meeting you Susan."

Susan stood up, and walked him back to the door. She hugged him tight before he walked out, and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you for saving me. Thank you and your team for bringing me back to my son," Susan said. Rossi smiled at her, and walked back down the hallway. The world really did need more people like Susan and Reid in it. Harold needed to be erased.

* * *

Hotch hated having to deal with the crowds of idiots outside the hospital. It took him a lot longer than he anticipated before he even saw the front doors of the building. The reporters were asking 50 questions a minute, cameras were flashing in his eyes, and he tripped at least twice as he struggled to get in the hospital. He probably wouldn't have gotten in as quickly as he did if Prentiss didn't see him from inside and help him. She pushed her way through the mob, and pulled Hotch with her into the waiting room. Hotch took a few minutes to catch his breath, and to fix his tie which had been messed up during the struggle.

"Thanks," Hotch finally managed to say. He looked around, and the waiting room was pretty much empty. "Why are you down here?"

"Oh, the butler's sister showed up," Prentiss said.

"What did she want?" Hotch remembered seeing her at the crime scene. He just hoped that she wasn't as mentally disturbed as her brother.

"She just wanted to know if there was something she could do to help, and she wanted to know where Markus was being kept. She needs to prepare for the burial."

"Morgan's family just got here, and so I was the distraction outside so J.J. could get them inside without any problems," Hotch said. He was sure that they were already upstairs. He wished that he could be there for the tearful reunion, but he felt good just knowing that he helped.

"Oh, that's great! I know that Garcia was getting Reid some gifts too to help him feel better when he wakes up. I'm betting that it's going to be at least 20 stuffed animals with pink nail polish," Prentiss said with a laugh. "I left Morgan with him when I had to leave because Anne wanted to talk with one of us."

"So Reid hasn't woken up yet today?" Hotch asked. He thought Reid would be awake by now, but he wasn't going to rush it. Hotch needed to watch the rest of the tapes before Harold's trial. He still felt like he needed to know exactly what Morgan and Reid went through.

"Not yet. Well, he might of when I went downstairs, but I haven't heard anything," Prentiss replied.

"Well, I think we should probably head back down to the station. I heard that Harold is getting a new lawyer, and I'd like to look over this guy," Hotch said. He really was curious about the new lawyer. Hotch remembered how badly Harold scared the last two guys that were going to represent him.

"I kinda feel sorry for him. He has no idea what he's in for," Prentiss said.

"He's going to lose the case either way. I wonder if he knows about those tapes yet," Hotch said. The poor guy probably had no idea about those tapes or he wouldn't have signed up for this.

"I'm sure he doesn't. Are you going to finish watching them?"

"Yes," Hotch said without a single thought. "Two of my agents had to live through those tapes. The least I could do is watch them. They are pushing the trial date for Harold, and I need to watch all of them before the trial starts."

Prentiss didn't say anything. There really was no need to argue with Hotch once his mind was made up. Both of them knew that. Hotch didn't even really know why himself the reason for watching the tapes. It made his stomach turn watching Morgan and Reid struggle for their lives, but when he spoke in court, he wanted to know exactly what Harold did. He wanted to have scenes picked out to show the jury.

"Do you want to check on Morgan and Reid before we leave?" Prentiss asked.

"I already told J.J. that I was stopping at the station, and we won't be that long. Morgan is probably going to want to have some privacy with his family for a while, and J.J. will call when Reid wakes up," Hotch said. He really wanted to get his visit with Harold over with. He just hoped that Harold's parents weren't there.

* * *

Garcia was happy to meet another girl at the hospital. It helped her relax a bit more, and she loved meeting new people. The girl seemed more interested in Garcia than talking about herself or her little brother, but Garcia didn't mind. She welcomed the distraction.

"So, is your job like really dangerous?"

"Well, mine isn't really," Garcia said setting down the stuffed animals in the elevator. "I spend most of the time behind a desk. They just call me when they want me to look up stuff like background checks and addresses and stuff."

"Don't you ever get bored?"

"No way! They call me up a lot and text me all the time so I'm never really alone. I like helping them or teasing them when they get stressed," Garcia replied.

"I would get totally bored. Are there lots of people on your team?" Cassandra asked.

Garcia glanced at the floor number they were on, and was happy that the next stop was hers. She got a bad feeling about the girl. She knew that the girl was just a teenager, and she was probably still in high school, but something about her wasn't right. Garcia didn't want to tell her anymore about the team. She wouldn't want them talking about her with a stranger, and she needed to respect their privacy just as much. This girl's mother could be a reporter or something.

"Next floor is mine. I could probably just carry all of these on my own," Garcia said glancing at the toys. Just by looking at them, she knew she couldn't carry all of them by herself. She wanted J.J. to come back. J.J. didn't even tell her where she went. She hoped nothing bad happened.

"How in the world could you carry all of these? I can barely handle the ones that I'm holding now," Cassandra said. "I won't stay. Don't worry."

"Your little brother will probably be angry if you're not visiting him today," Garcia replied.

"He can get over it. I'm sure he'd be psyched if I told him I got to help the agents today. Your story is all over the news. You guys are like celebrities!"

"I don't know about that," Garcia said truthfully. The news really only knew about was Morgan and Reid. That's all they cared about, and Garcia knew the horrible things they shouted to J.J. when she talked to them. It wasn't anything good. If this girl's mother was one of them, Garcia didn't want to be near her.

"I should probably get your autograph for my brother," Cassandra said.

"Tell me the truth," Garcia said as the elevator came to a stop. "Are your parents with the media?"

"What? No!" Cassandra exclaimed. "That would be totally amazing if they were, but they're not. My mom works as a waitress for some crappy restaurant, and my dad is the dude that empties your trash cans every week. He's a loser," she said.

Garcia was satisfied with the girl's answer, but she still didn't trust her that much. Garcia wasn't a profiler. She didn't think she was good at it, and she didn't have a 6th sense like the rest of the team did, but something was different about this girl. She was going to send Cassandra on the way right after they dropped the stuffed animals off. Cassandra didn't need to be around Reid.

_dun dun dun. u never thought garcia wud catch onto nikki, did ya? i remember how upset she was during the fisher king episode and i think she wanted to protect the team more than she went she was playing that silly game on the computer. who has been ur favorite character up 2 this point? besides reid lol. i know most of u r reading this story for reid hahaha. if u guys click that review button, somethin totally amazing will happen. the world will be turned into a utopia where all people will live n peace 4 the rest of eternity and ur lost pets will come back 2 life and we will get to ride unicorns and meet mermaids. or a lil box will pop up where u can write ur lil thoughts and opinions on this chapter. which wud b awsum. cuz then i might write faster. more angst? less angst? murders, rapes, little peguins appearing n the middle of morgans room with garcias name written across their bellies? its all up 2 u xoxo_


	42. Chapter 42

_heya peoples. long time no see, but i totally updated this in less than a month haha. go me! and guess whose a year older. happy late birthday to me! and 2 paget! and 2 matthew! yay happy late birthday to us! but omg, guess who got to meet one of the cast members of CM last week? im still psyched about it haha. moving on with the story...um...it SUX 2 be james right now...kinda SUX 2 b nikki too...and jude is uber creepy but yet, i like harold better. i think harold needs to be in it more. what do u guys think? im speeding up the trial date cuz usually they can take years to get an actual date but how boring would that be 4 a story so it needs to happen faster but i think harold needs 2 b creepier. i dunno. jude is start 2 creep me out more_

"Could you say the devil made him do it?" Gloria asked. James sat across from Harold's parents in the conference room of the jail, and they weren't helping much. It would be next to impossible to convince any jury that Harold killed all of those people in self defense, and James didn't have any idea of how to say that he didn't commit those crimes. All of the murders could be directly linked to weapons he had in his house.

"The devil made him do that? No, that won't work. That actually sounds pretty ridiculous," James said. He almost regretted taking the case. If he lost a case as big as this one, nobody would ever forget it. It could ruin his career.

"I know my son didn't do anything wrong. It's those people at the FBI. They've always hated us. Isn't there something you can do?" Gloria stood up and started pacing around the room which wasn't doing any good for James' nerves.

"Well, I found out some information on the agents. One of them was sexually abused as a child by an adult male figure, and the other one has a mother with schizophrenia. I'm sure I can work that in somewhere," James said.

"One of their mothers heard voices in her head? Excellent. Couldn't you say her son suffers from it too? Maybe the one that was sexually abused attacked the other one, and managed to convince him that it was my poor son?"

"I can look into that actually, but that wouldn't help me explain what happened to all of the people who were murdered near his house. I think I'm going to have to look around in his home, and possibly talk to the agents or that Susan woman. Maybe I could convince them not to press charges," James said slowly. He knew that wouldn't work. If his client really did hurt them, they would never drop the charges. James knew that Harold was perfectly capable of hurting anyone he wanted to.

"What would looking around his house do?" Gloria asked.

"Well, maybe he has a diary or something that the police overlooked. I'm looking for something that will help prove his innocence. Maybe he wrote down that he was having the agents over for a party or something," James said.

"Should I come along with you? I have nothing else planned for today," Gloria said quickly. "Well, I am planning on speaking to the reporters later today. I heard that the agents don't really like talking to the public. They've only spoken once or twice, and they don't like to talk about the conditions of their agents. I'm not going to be like that. Harold is innocent."

"Maybe you should wait until Harold has a statement himself ready. Then I could speak to the reporters with you," James said. He had many cases where clients themselves wanted to speak to the media, and he couldn't believe the crap that they blurted out of their mouths.

"I was going to have someone write out what I should stay. I don't like to be like the parents who go into hiding the second their child is accused of a horrific crime. I want to go out to the public, and defend my son."

James sat down in a chair and sighed. How was he going to do this? He knew that it would be a wise idea to quit while he was ahead, but he wasn't a quitter. What was he going to do?

* * *

Jude was pacing around his bedroom floor, and he was getting angrier by the minute. Why wasn't Nikki texting him back? He needed to know the names of all of the agents before he could proceed. Nikki was just a child. He should have known better than to trust a child with adult business. He needed to talk with Harold himself. The jail was only a block or so away from his house, and once he told Harold about how many people he had on his side, there would be nothing to stop them from getting Harold out of jail. Those agents would pay for what they were putting Harold through. The government would pay.

He grabbed one of his fake IDs, and walked casually down to the station. He wasn't surprised to see all of the crazy supporters standing in the heat with poster boards. Did they really think that would help at all? Did they think the police would see them sweating their guts out, and feel bad enough for them to release Harold? That wasn't going to happen, and they were fools to think so. If they wanted any kind of change, they needed to act. As calmly as he could, he slipped through the crowd of people. One officer was standing outside by the front door. This was a lot easier than he expected.

"ID sir," the officer said as Jude approached. Jude gave the twirp his ID, and smiled. Jude shouldn't have had any negative feelings towards the cop. The cop was nothing more than a pathetic sheep following the flock. If he had any brains, he would never be working for the government.

"I'm here to visit my dear second cousin. He doesn't have much family right now, and I'm just coming to give him my love and support," Jude said with practiced ease. Just as he expected, the officer gave him back his ID and stepped aside.

Jude walked in the station, and saw that it was almost as busy inside than it was outside. Cops were running in every direction spilling coffee or tripping over papers. It was quite a sight to see. They couldn't keep up with their own bullshit. This was what Jude referred to as irony. He walked by, unnoticed, to the cell rooms. He walked straight to the back without looking in any of the others. It wasn't brain science to know that Harold would be locked away in the back.

When he reached the last cell, he looked in it without a pause. Sitting on the bench was a man, only a few inches taller than Jude, with greasy black hair and dark eyes. This was the mass murderer that the media was having a fit about? He didn't have big muscles, and his arms weren't covered in tattoos. He looked harmless.

"Good afternoon young man. Have we met?" Harold asked a few moments after Jude arrived.

"You're Harold?" Jude still couldn't believe that this puny looking man killed all of those people. He knew that it was a set up now. Anyone with half a brain could tell this man was a nerd who probably got beat up at school a lot when he was younger.

"You still have not told me your name," Harold said. Harold stood up and walked right up to the bars, but Jude didn't back up. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid of anyone.

"My name is Jude," Jude finally said. He could smell Harold's breath against his skin, and Harold's black eyes almost seemed to pierce his soul, but Jude wasn't afraid. Jude stared right back. "I am here to do your bidding. Anything you want. All you need to do is ask."

He felt Harold look him up and down, but Harold's eyes never left his own. It did send chills down his spine, but Jude stood his ground.

"Why would you want to help me? What would you get out of helping me? We are complete strangers, and you look nothing like Jesus. People don't help each other in today's day and age," Harold said slowly.

"I know you well enough. I know your story, and I know what happened to you. The government is always trying to control us. I think it's a good idea to stand up to them for a change. You need more help that a lawyer to get out of here," Jude replied.

Harold looked up at the ceiling, and tightened his fingers around the bar.

"You're right. I don't think my lawyer likes me very much. I can't seem to figure out, but I was hoping that we would be friends."

"What do you want me to do?" Jude asked. He pulled a pad of paper out of his pocket, and showed it to Harold. "Those are the names of the agents that you are against. That's not all of them, but its most of them."

Harold didn't just glance at the short list. He studied it. He ran his hands over the words, and used his fingers to trace out the letters.

"Agent Jareau, Agent Prentiss, Agent Morgan, Agent Garcia, Agent Reid…" Harold said slowly. "Oh, how I miss him."

"Do you want me to attack them? I have a group formed. I could probably get more people, but I don't think we can take all of them down. Maybe if we can focus on one or two. I was thinking of the girls," Jude said with confidence. He attacked many girls before. This would be a piece of cake. "I know that Agent Jareau and Agent Prentiss are girls. I don't know about the rest, but they would be the easiest to get to."

"I want to see Agent Reid again," Harold replied.

"I don't know if we could do that," Jude said. "They have those two agents under a tight security at the hospital. I don't think I could near him if I tried, and even if I did sneak into his room, how I am supposed to bring him back here?" Jude took a step back and looked at the tiny cell. "I think we need to focus on bringing you back to freedom. I was thinking that if something else happens to one of the other agents, the attention would get off of you. People would think that the serial killer was still out there, and they'd have to set you free."

Harold smiled, and stretched his arms out toward Jude. Jude walked forward expecting a handshake so he was taken back when Harold sniffed his hair. Jude didn't mind though. He guessed that if he was locked up for so long, he'd want to smell something good too.

"Thank you Jude," Harold whispered. "Please come back to inform me how everything went. I very much look forward to hearing from you."

"I'll bring Agent Reid to you," Jude said. He was sure that it was this agent's lies that forced poor Harold to spend all of this time in a jail cell. It was his selfishness that locked Harold away without a friend in the world. Jude was going to do everything that he could physically do to help the poor man. The public needed to learn the truth about the horror that really went on behind closed doors. If the government could lock somebody like Harold up, who was next? "It will take time, but you will get to see him again."

"You will get rewarded for helping me," Harold said. Harold gave Jude back the notepad, and stepped away from Jude.

Jude smiled at him, and walked away before any cop could spot him talking to Harold. He almost tripped trying to get to the front of the station. He could fool one cop with his fake ID, but he couldn't fool two. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the front door. He was about to walk out when he saw two people wearing black rush in. One of them was a tall man with black hair, and a stern look on his face. The other was a pale woman with dark hair with big eyes.

"This way agents," one of the pigs said to the couple wearing black. Jude shot Nikki a text message as fast as he could type asking if Agent Prentiss was there. She had been ignoring her other text messages, but he needed to know the answer to this one ASAP. He leaned against a wall, and watched the agents walk through a doorway. His phone buzzed back to him, and he was thrilled to read that Nikki last saw Agent Prentiss downstairs. This woman had to be her. He looked up to see where they went, and he couldn't believe it when he saw that woman staring at him. She was looking right at him, and she didn't look away when he looked back. He instantly hated her. She was one of the reasons that Harold was locked away.

* * *

Prentiss was tired. It felt like she had been running around all day even though she had only been up for a few hours. Her tummy was growling, and it was difficult to keep her eyes open. She didn't really want to meet Harold's lawyer. She felt sorry for him, but that was as far as their relationship would ever go. She was happy to see that the crowd was under better control than it was earlier, but it still wasn't easy to get into the station. Hotch went immediately to the right where they knew the conference rooms were, but Prentiss felt something was off. She saw the officers hurrying about, and she could hear the crowd jeering outside, but that wasn't it. In a back corner, she spotted a young man holding a cell phone. The man was in his 20s, and he had light brown hair with white skin. Nothing about his appearance was off, but she didn't trust him. He gave her the same feeling that the high school kid gave her back at the hospital. She turned to ask Hotch about him, but Hotch was already gone. When she looked back, the stranger noticed her staring. She was even more creeped out when he didn't look away. He kept staring at her.

She walked past all of the officers, and right up to the young man. He didn't try to sneak away or blend in with the crowd. He stood up to face her.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Who are you?" he said slyly back.

"I'm a federal agent, and you have no business being here," Prentiss said. She watched him look her up and down. She didn't get uncomfortable until she saw him eyeing her breasts. "You need to leave now."

"Chill out lady. I was just visiting my pal. I have every right to be here just like you do. Just cuz you're the law doesn't give you any right to boss me around," he replied. "I'm leaving though. Peace out." He looked at her breasts again, but he walked out. Prentiss watched him leave, but she didn't forget his face.

She wasn't in the best mood when she found Hotch sitting at a table in one of the conference rooms. His face was glued to the papers in front of him. He didn't even look up when she came in. This case was taking over him. They needed a break from all of this or they would go nuts. Hotch needed to visit his son.

"Where were you?" Hotch asked.

"There was a kid. I don't know, but I made him leave. Harold has a fan club outside, doesn't he?" Prentiss asked.

"Don't all serial killers get fan clubs at one time or another?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You think the kid was part of a fan club or something?" Hotch asked.

"He wasn't going to talk to me, but I think we should look out for people like that. They can be more dangerous than the serial killer sometimes. What are you looking at?" Prentiss asked as she sat down.

"These are just all of the confirmed victims. There could be more out there, but these are the ones we know of. The first victim was 27 year old Jeffrey Bridges," Hotch said pointing out his picture.

"He was beheaded," Prentiss said.

"Harold's lawyer needs to see this. I really want to see how he is going to defend this man," Hotch said.

Both of them looked up when the door opened to their room. A confidant man walked in, and smiled politely at them. He sat across from Hotch, and set his briefcase down.

"Good afternoon. I believe you wanted to see me?"

"Hi, this is Agent Prentiss and I am Agent Hotchner. You are Harold's lawyer?"

"Yes, call me James," he said extending his hand. Hotch shook it and he smiled at Prentiss. "What is this about?"

"I am no stranger to law," Hotch began, "and two of my agents were almost murdered by your client. I just wanted to see if you were aware of how many people this man is accused of killing." Hotch pushed the pictures of the smiling people next to ones of their corpses. Prentiss didn't look at it. The lawyer glanced at it, but he didn't pick anything up.

"They are pushing for a trial date next week because of his fame, but all of this is between myself and my client," James said firmly.

"In case you haven't noticed, all of this is off record," Hotch replied. "This room isn't rigged or being taped. I'm just talking to you, and giving you my advice.

"Then how about we get a coffee?" James asked suddenly. He stood up, and stretched his arms over his head. "I'm starved, and I'm so sick of being in here. I need to get out of here just to keep my sanity."

"We should stay here if we're discussing this case," Hotch said.

"I thought we were just talking, right? You're not rigged, and this room isn't taped. Why can't we get a coffee? Both of you look just as hungry as me."

Hotch looked at Prentiss, and she shrugged. She was starving, and she really didn't see any problem with it.

"Fine," Hotch agreed. "I do need some coffee."

Prentiss smiled, and she eagerly stood up. She did need to get out to a place that wasn't filled with criminals or sick people. She wanted to feel human again. She needed to call Garcia though and warn her to look out for fans of Harold. She wanted to check up on Reid and Morgan as well.

She waited until Hotch and James were out before she put Garcia on dial. Garcia answered after three rings which was unusual for Garcia who was usually quick with her hands.

"Did you miss me that much Prentiss?" Garcia sang into the phone.

"Busy over there?"

"My surprise for Reid was a lot heavier than I expected," Garcia said.

"Well, I can't wait to see that," Prentiss said laughing. "How are the boys? Did anything new happen while we were gone?"

"You haven't been gone that long," Garcia said. "Morgan's mom and sisters came over to surprise him. I missed the big reunion, but I heard it was priceless."

"Morgan needed that," Prentiss said quietly.

"Reid woke up too, but it was only for a few minutes. I guess it was right after we left."

"What happened?" Prentiss stopped walking, but she could see Hotch and James only a few feet ahead of her. She was grateful that the coffee shop was only a short walk away. She was already debating in her mind what she was going to order.

"I don't know exactly, but Morgan was talking to Reid when Reid went into another fit or something. I was so scared when I saw all these nurses up here, but he's okay. He's sleeping again. I wish he would wake up. I really miss him."

"Did the doctors say anything was wrong?"

"I didn't talk to the doctors, but Rossi said that this is normal. I just don't like any of this normal stuff anymore. I just don't Prentiss. Everyone needs to get better, and the bad guys need to go to jail. I'm still scared Prentiss," Garcia whispered.

"We'll be back soon. Okay Garcia? I just wanted to warn you that Harold has a fan club growing I think. I saw this kid at the station. I didn't really talk to him, but I really do think Harold has some wacky fans out there. I'm going to tell the officers at the station to look out for them, but if they can sneak into a police station, they can get into that hospital."

"Harold has a fan club? Seriously?"

"I don't know like I said, but just keep an eye open. Keep our boys safe."

"I won't let either one of them out of my sight," Garcia promised. Prentiss slipped the phone back in her pocket, and found Hotch and James sitting at a table by the coffee shop. She tried to wipe all worry from her face as she approached the table. She wasn't going to tell Hotch about what happened to Reid until James left.

* * *

Nikki felt miserable sitting outside Agent Reid's room. She was bored out of her mind, and the once talkative agent became very quiet after a phone call. Nikki swung her feet in the air, and nonchalantly checked the nine unread text messages from Jude. He was angry, but what could she do? She was being babysat by a hippie looking blonde.

"We've been sitting out here for half an hour now. I think it's okay if we went in," Agent Jareau said. "He's just sleeping, and no one else is in there." The petite blonde ventured inside the agent's room. The older man, Agent Rossi, went in second leaving Nikki alone with Agent Garcia again.

"Okay," the chubby woman began, "you can help me set everything up, but then you have to leave. Okay?"

"Fine. That's fine," Nikki said. She didn't even want to go see the lying agent anymore. She needed to go make sure Jude wasn't doing something crazy. Whenever he got in these moods, it was impossible to bring him back again. She never used to question him. He was older than the rest of their group, and so everyone assumed he knew what he was doing, but did he?

She picked up her set of stuffed animals, and nearly tripped as she went into the hospital room. Nobody needed this many toys. This was ridiculous! Nikki set them down by a chair just to catch her breath, but the first thing she saw was the hospital bed. The little blonde was sitting down on a chair closest to the bed while the older man stood on the other side. The person on the bed didn't look that old at all. His light brown hair was brushed out of his face, but he had thick bandages covering up his back and wrists. He was positioned on his side, but from where Nikki was standing, she could see his face perfectly. His skin was pale, but his lips had a pale pink color coming from them. Whatever did happen to this guy, it was bad.

"You can just set these on this side of the bed," Agent Garcia motioned. Nikki snapped out of it, and brought two of the animals to the edge of the bed.

"Like this?"

"Yeah, that's good. Now, these two should probably go near the TV," Agent Garcia said more to herself than Nikki. She glanced at Agent Garcia who was situating the animals, but Nikki didn't care about that. She really wanted to know what happened to the poor guy with the pretty hair. He looked so tiny in that bed and Nikki felt terrible.

"Okay, I think I can do the rest on my own."

Nikki nodded in agreement when a quiet moan came from the bed. Instantly, everyone's eyes went toward Agent Reid. His fingers were flexing, and his eyes were opening. Nikki felt like she shouldn't be there. It seemed more like a personal moment, and she was intruding or something. She wanted to go, she really did, but her feet felt glued to the floor. Agent Reid opened his brown eyes, and one of the first people he saw was Nikki.

"How are you feeling Spence?" the little blonde asked. Nikki watched Agent Reid try to lift himself up, but he gasped and stopped. Agent Garcia hurried to the other side of the bed to fluff up his pillows, and help him lay back down.

"Don't try doing that until you know you can," Agent Garcia scolded.

"You'll hurt yourself again," Agent Jareau said.

"I'm feeling alright. I just feel really tired still," Agent Reid said. "I've been sleeping a lot, haven't I?"

"No more than we expected," Agent Rossi replied. That's when Agent Reid looked back up at Nikki. Garcia started explain before Nikki could say a word.

"She wanted to help with our surprise for you. It's not really done yet so you weren't supposed to wake up until later but surprise!" Garcia said in one breath. Agent Reid looked around the best he could, and smiled.

"Thank you. I love them all," Agent Reid said weakly. It sounded like this guy hadn't been talking for a while. His voice had no power behind it, and he couldn't even sit up on his own. His team was terribly protective of him, and Nikki guessed that he was probably the youngest. He was definitely the youngest one of them in the room right then. Something really bad did happen to this guy. He wasn't making it up. "What's your name?"

"My name is Ni…Cassandra. I was coming to," Nikki thought fast. What lie did she tell them? Was it the toe? No, it was her brother. "I was coming to visit my little brother, and I'm sure he's wondering where I am so I should probably get going."

She saw all of the others staring at her. She was surrounded by FBI agents in a hospital room, and she was lying. How stupid could she be? She didn't want to do this anymore, and she felt her heart start to race when the old man was passing knowing glances at the younger blonde.

"Let me walk you to his room," Agent Rossi said.

"Nope, I'll be fine," Nikki said. She backed up to the door and smiled at them. She was going to tell Jude that she wanted out. She didn't care what Agent Reid did to Harold. He was hurt enough, and she wasn't going to let Harold hurt him anymore. "I'm fine. I'll see all of you later I guess. Feel erm better."

She hurried out of the room, and hid behind a corner for a few minutes. She convinced herself that the older man was going to come out looking for her, but he never came out. No one did except her. She guessed that they didn't want to upset Agent Reid by chasing her down. He needed to relax. She really did feel sorry for him. She wasn't sure how that happened, but she wanted to make him a card now.

She looked at her green/blue toe as she rode the elevator back downstairs. What was she going to tell Jude? Dealing with the FBI agents was easier in some ways. At least she knew they were sane. Nikki thought that Jude was sane. He did know what he was doing. He just had some anger problems. While he never spoke of his childhood, she heard rumors that his father left his mother when he was just an infant. He never heard from his dad again, and boys need fathers growing up. His mom had boyfriends, but she never remarried. Jude was on his own, and that was sad.

Nikki wasn't going to tell Harold that she was backing out. As handsome as he was, she wasn't going to hurt someone else for him. What if he did kill all those people? What if he was the one who was lying? Jude tried to convince everyone that he was falsely accused, but what if Jude was wrong? How would he know anyway? Jude wasn't there. Nikki supposed the only ones who really knew were the poor people who were murdered and the murderer. Nikki just wished that she wasn't the one who had to tell Jude that she quit.

_and so ends chapter 42. ya i kinda feel sorry for nikki. shes just a silly teen. i think everybody was a silly teen once in their life. or still is. depending on who is reading this story. but ya. any suggestions on what should happen? the whole scene with jude pretty much wrote itself. that happens. i had little to no control over it. jude is his own person. but the agents are catching onto them. they arent stupid and im sure that they would totally notice this dude just standing in the police station with this psycho killer n the back. i would but i watch too much tv. so now...how to make u guys review? um...du du...du du...du du du du du du du...doo doo...du du du du and then the shark from JAWS eats you up! bwaah! review pweez. oh and RIP to elizabeth taylor. she was amazing =(_


	43. Chapter 43

_as sad as it seems, i dont think the story has much longer to go. harolds trial is coming up and i do believe it will end shortly after that. im going to miss this story a lot when it finally ends. what do you guys want to happen to harold? i have a few ideas, but nothing is solid it. i wanna know what u guys think. after this chapter, i think im more scared of jude than harold though haha. jude has some SERIOUS problems. i still like markus best too though. and susan too. susan is coming back the next chapter. so im stop talking now so u guys can read this chapter =)_

Harold sat alone in his cell. He had never been so lonely his entire life. He was used to splendid parties on weekends, and constant visitors to his estate during the weekdays. Even on dull days, he still had the constant company of his staff. He wasn't used to having no one to speak with, and it was killing him inside. What was happening beyond these bars? Was it raining outside? Was Timothy getting fed? Did the young doctor wake up yet? Oh, how he missed Reid. He would give anything to see him again. He was sure that Reid missed him as well. Whenever he was offered his one phone call, he would use it to call his young friend. Jude and Nicole did seem like very promising young people, but he wasn't interested in knowing them.

How would Harold get out of there? He stood up, and walked to the bars of his cell room. They were cold to the touch, and Harold wasn't big enough to force the heavy door open on his own. He would need help. He didn't want to be there anymore. The other inmates smelled terribly, and they never had anything nice to say. He refused to talk to any of them. He tried to be polite when he first got there, but he was past that point. There were many more words used in the English language than curse words, but the poor slobs didn't seem to understand that. They really were a waste of humanity. Other countries despised the United States simply because they thought that all Americans were like the poor souls locked away in jail or party animals like the Hiltons. Harold was glad that he was educated. He would never end up like that. He was drunk a few times in his youth, like most young men are, but he was never drowning his head in toilets the morning after. He was more dignified than that.

Harold sat back on his bench when he heard someone walking his way. He was too angry to talk to anyone else. The only view given to him was a dirty toilet than was a few feet away from his bed. It was disgusting. He wasn't even given a door. He had managed to hold himself for the time that he had been there so far, and he would continue holding it rather than expose himself to the guards and prisoners. What kind of person did they think he was? He would rather go in his pants than let everyone see him like that. He was going to have to speak to his lawyer about this problem next time he saw him. He needed better living conditions. He wasn't even able to get a good night's sleep in this cell. He needed to go home.

"So how many people you kill?"

Harold didn't even look in the direction of the voice. He hated everything about this place including the voice. He missed Reid.

"Come on, you can tell me!"

Harold kept facing forward, and tried to imagine a lovely painting on the opposite wall. The imaginary drawing brought him some comfort.

"What do you think?" Harold calmly asked back.

"You did, didn't you? I knew it!" the excited voice exclaimed. "You are a sick bastard!"

"My parents were both married when I was born. The wedding probably cost more money than you have ever seen in your life," Harold replied. This man he was speaking to wasn't upsetting him, but Harold really wished he would go away. He wanted to be alone.

"Yeah, well at least I'm a real man. You're an idiot, kinda like that guy from that TV show. Remember? That one jerk really wants to kill the kid, but the kid always gets away. The one person you wanted to kill is doing just fine I heard," the voice bragged.

"I never wanted to kill anyone," Harold said. That was a small lie. Harold did want his parents to die at times, and he did trip his brother on purpose. Harold knew that he needed to go to confession. He would have to find time for that whenever he got out.

"Course you didn't. That guy just accidentally got cut in half. Right? That's what you're goin say in court?"

"Don't you have someplace to be? I'm sure that your fellow officers need help controlling the unruly crowd that I hear from outside. It is nothing more than selfishness from your part to allow them to face the protestors on their own. Don't you agree?" Harold despised people who only thought of themselves.

"I'd be so freakin surprised if they didn't give you the death penalty. That's what you deserve. What kind of sick bastard could attack a 19 year old girl?"

Why did this man have to continue talking? Harold didn't initiate the conversation. He didn't even want to contribute to it, but this guy kept pushing him and pushing him. Harold slowly stood up, and turned to face the man. The ignorant man seemed to be in 30s with a strong build and green eyes. He wasn't bad looking, and Harold was sure that they could have been friends if it hadn't been for his rude remarks.

"Do tell me, kind sir, didn't your mother ever teach you to keep your mouth shut when you have nothing pleasant to say?" Harold coldly smiled at the stranger, and walked up to him. Only the hideous bars separated them, and Harold loved watching the nervous twitch in the man's eyes.

"My mom taught me how to treat regular people, not people who like to hurt kids."

"Oh, dear sir, I have never hurt a child. I love children," Harold said truthfully. "Children have an innocence about them that most lose during puberty. Children can see beauty in all things, and I have never met a child I didn't like. I cannot say that for adults."

"That teenage girl was still a kid," he weakly said as a comeback. "She was still going to school and you cut off her tongue."

Harold thought back. What teenage girl did he kill? He couldn't really remember. He was sure that her name would come to him if he look back in his rooms, but it was difficult thinking when a man who smelled like pickles was breathing down his face. He thought back to the dark agent cursing on his wall, and of the cream colored skin of young Agent Reid. That's when it came to him.

"Samantha you mean?"

"You murdered everyone who came into your house," he replied. "I hope that the crowds break in here. You should be begging mercy from them. A lot of them are family members of the poor people you killed, and you don't seem to care at all."

"Why must you talk to me like that? What have I done to you?"

"One of the women you killed was my little sister you fucker!" the man shouted.

Harold hated foul language. He hated it almost as much as he hated newer films and caviar. He grabbed the cop's hair as tight as he could, and he pulled the cop close to his face. The man cried out from the force of Harold's hand, and Harold licked the frightened man across his cheek. The salty skin was a welcomed new flavor from the bland food they had been feeding him. Harold watched with mild curiosity as the cop struggled to get his gun, but Harold was in control. He pulled at the cop's ear lobe with his other hand, and smiled from the rush he was getting.

"Help!" he cried out. Harold never wanted to let go. He could have kept doing this all day long, but he did miss Reid. He wanted Reid back.

A few moments passed before several officers came, and forced Harold's hands off of the struggling cop. Harold didn't step back when the other officers stared at him. In fact, he smiled at them. He had to remember his manners.

"Are you hurt? What did he do to you?" one of the others asked.

"He grabbed me," the first man said. He was rubbing his head where Harold grabbed him. Harold imagined that it probably hurt. "I'm fine though." Harold winked at the man when he looked his way.

"You shouldn't be back here alone," one of the others said. "We should call the agents. They should know."

Harold suddenly became more alert. The mention of the agents sent his heart racing.

"Please tell Agent Reid that I am thinking of him," Harold called out. He hated interrupting conversations, but he missed Reid terribly. "Tell the boy that I would like to see him again."

* * *

Hotch sat down across from James after getting his coffee. He wasn't hungry at all, and it almost nauseated him when he saw that James was eating a scone. Prentiss had fallen behind them with a phone call, but Hotch knew where she was at. He was going to make sure he knew where all of his agents were at all times. James took a big bite out of his scone, and wiped his face right away to catch any stray crumbs. Hotch wasn't angry at this man. He did know where James was coming from. Most lawyers dream of getting a case with this much publicity, but there was no way that James could possibly when this case.

"Have you seen Harold's house yet?" Hotch asked.

"No, I was planning on stopping by there later today actually. I know how large it is," James said taking another bite. "I've been to his parents house, and you wouldn't believe the entry way."

"I've been to Harold's house," Hotch said. He could still smell the retched air from that room that Morgan and Reid had to live in. That smell still made him sick to his stomach.

"Why aren't you eating? I thought you'd be hungry too," James said.

"Do you know about the tapes?" Hotch asked. Those tapes would be devastating to anyone trying to defend Harold.

"What tapes?" James asked. James put his scone down, and looked directly at Hotch. Hotch hated being the one to tell James about the tapes, but he had a right to know. He knew that Harold's parents wouldn't have told James, and Harold didn't care enough to help James out.

"Harold taped what he did to every single one of his victims," Hotch said. "Some of the tapes are over 10 years old. I haven't watched all of them yet, but he didn't leave anybody out."

"What exactly are on those tapes?"

Hotch sipped his coffee, and glanced over to see where Prentiss was. She was still on the phone, but she was walking their way.

"Harold has every room of his house on video camera," Hotch explained. "Along with the pictures he sent to us, there are several tapes of what that man did to my agents. Nothing was left out, and most of my team can't watch them because of how graphic they are. I've only watched part of one, and it clearly shows my agents were being held against their will."

James sipped his coffee, but didn't look at Prentiss when she pulled up a chair beside them. Hotch noticed that she had something on her mind, but he would bring that up later. She didn't even get a coffee that she wanted so bad.

"So these tapes show him attacking the victims?"

"These tapes show everything," Hotch said firmly. "The morning after he abducted two of my agents, he tried to drown one of them. The tapes aren't blurry, and you can't argue what the content of the tapes are."

James sighed, and pushed the rest of his scone away. Hotch was sure that the news of the video tapes ruined his day, but he really did have a right to know what kind of man he was defending.

"These tapes are at the station?"

"Yes," Hotch said. "All of them were removed from Harold's house after he was arrested. I was going to finish watching one of the tapes today, and you are welcome to come." Hotch was going to make himself watch every agonizing second of what Morgan and Reid went through. They were his family, and he still blamed himself every day for what happened. Watching the tapes would help him understand more of what they went through. The doctor could tell him every detail of their injuries, but it wouldn't become real until Hotch watched it himself.

James looked at his phone, and then back up at Prentiss and Hotch. He didn't look happy.

"It will have to be in a few hours," James finally said. "I'm supposed to be at Harold's house in about an hour, and his parents keep wanting to talk with me. I just hope that his mother doesn't do something stupid by talking to the media. Why are you helping me?"

Hotch felt Prentiss look at him, but Hotch didn't really know why he was helping James. He guessed it was because he worked in law himself, and he knew what it was like. He knew the stress of that job was overbearing at times, and that it could drive a person who wasn't used to living in the fast lane completely nuts.

"Would you rather I not?" Hotch asked.

"I appreciate your help," James said quickly. He stood up, and smiled at Prentiss. "I have some stuff to look at before I go to Harold's house, but I really am grateful for your help. I can meet you back at the station in about three hours if that's alright with you."

"That sounds fine," Hotch said. He hoped he would be free in three hours, but he didn't even know that much. He silently prayed that the news that Prentiss got from her phone call was good news. He couldn't bear much more grief.

"Thank you," James said. "Nice meeting both of you." James waved his hand as he walked back towards the station. Hotch didn't look away until he was out of sight.

"Who called?" Hotch asked Prentiss.

"It was Garcia. She just told me that Morgan's family stopped by the hospital, and that Reid woke up again but it wasn't for long," Prentiss replied. "Reid isn't doing too well, is he?"

"He's been through a lot," Hotch said. He stood up, and tried to appreciate the cool breeze in his face, but it was hard to appreciate anything when two of his best agents were almost killed. "I know about Morgan's family though. I helped sneak them in through the back."

Prentiss laughed.

"That's a good idea. I'm sure the reporters would have attacked them if they could," Prentiss said with a smile on her face. "Those people do need lives. I noticed something else back at the station."

"What?"

"Harold has a mini fan club growing outside," Prentiss started. "It seems to be getting bigger every time we are over there. It's almost like Charlie Manson."

Hotch noticed the idiot supporters outside the jail, but he never thought twice about them. Every serial killer will have their own group following every move they make. He still heard stories about men who murdered their own wives were getting love letters from women in the mail.

"I'm not surprised," Hotch said.

"Neither am I, but do you think these supporters could get dangerous? There was a guy at the station, and I think he might have been one of them."

"How do you know?" Hotch didn't like hearing about this. He had enough to concentrate on with Harold and his parents. He didn't want to add loopy followers on top of it.

"He was just looking at me strange, and he had an attitude about him," Prentiss said. "I'm worried now though. If they can sneak their way into the jail, what's stopping them from getting in the hospital? I don't want to overreact or anything, but I don't want any of those people near Morgan or Reid. I already told Garcia to be on the lookout."

"How old did he look?"

"I'd say 20s," Prentiss said thinking back. "Just looking at him creeped me out. I don't know if he was a Harold groupie or not, but I think it's something we need to watch out for."

Hotch didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Hotch should have known that Harold would get a fan club the second they posted his picture on the news. He was glad that Prentiss noticed. Hotch was too concentrated on bringing Harold down that he forgot to look around him. He needed to bring Harold down and continue keeping his team safe from the monsters all around them.

* * *

Doctor Meyer was just checking his rounds when one of his nurses came up to him. He was going through so much already, and he hated to be bothered. He had other patients to work on, not including the two agents, and he hated having to deal with the reporters all day long. They were still managing to sneak inside his hospital, and if he ended up locking one of them in the basement, he wasn't going to be held responsible.

"Meyer?" Vivien asked. Vivien was one of the nurses in charge of Agent Reid, and Meyer did like her. She wasn't snobby or rude like several of the other nurses working the day shift. Vivien did like her job, and he knew that she wanted to be a doctor someday.

"Yes Vivien?" Meyer didn't look up from his paperwork. He still had many patients to check on, and a surgery was scheduled at the end of the day. His work never ended.

"Agent Reid woke up a few minutes ago. He is with some of his team, but I thought it'd be a good idea now to talk to him if you wanted," she said. "He looks exhausted, and I don't think he'll be able to stay awake much longer."

"Of course," Meyer said. He was surprised that Reid was awake at all. Most trauma patients slept for days before even opening their eyes. Meyer wasn't sure that he even wanted the young agent to be awake. He needed sleep more than anything right now. "I'm on my way."

Meyer walked to Agent Reid's room without another word to Vivien. He was sure that she had work to do, and he needed to catch Reid before he fell back asleep. He was almost excited to meet this small celebrity that he had been watching on television since he got here. He was used to meeting and talking to his patients the day they came in. He didn't get many patients that were in such bad condition as Agent Reid or Agent Morgan. He liked talking to people, and he loved helping them. That's why he became a doctor in the first place.

He stood outside the slightly open door, and listened to the excited voices coming from inside. He heard at least two women talking, and one of them seemed to be asking a thousand questions a second. Meyer hated having to interrupt the conversation, but they needed to take it slower with the recovering agent. He still had a lot of healing to do.

"Do you really like the stuffed animals then? I wasn't sure which ones to get, but I didn't want to get you the same ones that I got Morgan. I think Morgan really likes his and I know that stuffed animals make me smile so I was hoping that they would make you smile too," one of the blondes said in one breath.

When Meyer walked in, everyone got quiet. The other blonde turned in her chair, and an older agent by the window looked away from Reid. Meyer had to smile when he saw the talking blonde actually demonstrating the cuddliness of one of the little animals. He liked her right away. She reminded him of one of her daughters. The thing was, his daughters were both under 10 years old. That made him laugh inside.

"How are you doing this afternoon Agent Reid?" Meyer asked. He circled around the bed so he could get a good look at the young man on the bed. "My name is Doctor Meyer, and I am the one who will be taking care of you."

"I'm alright," Reid weakly replied. Meyer could barely hear his voice, but he expected that. Meyer checked his vitals, and then looked back at the chart. Reid's blood pressure was a little low, but that could be taken care of. What he didn't like was that Reid was on the lowest amount of pain medication that could be given. Meyer at first thought that this kid was stronger than normal people because of his extensive training, but that couldn't be right. He got a case a few years ago of an agent who had one of his toes blown off. That agent was screaming the entire night, and Agent Reid had suffered much more than a missing toe.

"You don't hurt anywhere?" Meyer asked eyeing Reid. The color hadn't come back in Reid's face, but he was looking less dead. Meyer wasn't even convinced that Reid would survive the night they brought him in so he was still mildly surprised that Reid was still alive. Meyer noted that his broken arm was still being held up, and that Reid was positioned on his side to help his back heal. Meyer did want to go through and make sure that none of the wounds were infected. It was going to be a task to make sure that all of them healed properly, and he was probably going to have to call Vivien back to help him check. Infection was one of Reid's biggest threats still.

"I'm just really tired," Reid said slowly.

Meyer wanted to argue with the kid. Why didn't he want more pain medication? He had to be going through agony with his ripped up back, and the broken tissue in his rectum. He wouldn't be able to use the bathroom normally for quite a while, and Reid was trying to convince him that he felt fine. Was he trying to impress the other agents or something? Meyer walked up to the kid in the bed, and looked over the bandages without touching them.

"I'm just making sure that everything looks alright," Meyer explained. He heard Reid hold his breath when Meyer moved around the hospital gown so he could look at his back. The other agent didn't like being touched either. Meyer tried to be as gentle as possible as he looked at the bandages covering the agent's back. A small amount of blood had seeped through, but they were still tied firmly around his body. Meyer wrote down in his notes that the bandages would need to be changed soon, but he wanted to put it off for as long as possible. He didn't want to scare the kid anymore either. He knew that he could only imagine what Reid went through, and that was probably nowhere near the truth. He just wanted Reid to sleep more before he put the agent through anything else. He needed his strength.

* * *

Nikki walked all the way back home, and didn't say a word to her mother as she walked upstairs to her room. Her mom smelled like alcohol which still broke Nikki's heart. Her mother needed to stop drinking. Nikki heard voices coming from her room, and she swore her heart stopped when she heard Jude's voice. Why did her mother continue letting her friends in when she wasn't even home? Nikki opened her door, and saw that her small group had grown. There was barely place to walk in her room, but she stayed quiet. Jude was talking, and she knew better than to interrupt him. She found a spot free on her twin size bed, and sat down to listen to Jude.

"The plan is to take down one of the federal agents. It's their fault that Harold Caldwell, an innocent man who loves children, is locked up. It's upon us now to save his life. I was given the names of the agents working the case against Harold," Jude said. "These are the ones who are condemning an innocent man. They want his blood on their hands, but we won't let that happen. They will stop hurting him if we attack one of their own."

Nikki heard murmurs of agreement from the kids in the crowd, and Nikki felt miserable. Something bad did happen to those agents. The government wasn't making this up. She didn't know if Harold was the one who did that, but there was something mentally wrong with that man. She was able to see it more after getting over her obsession with him. He was a very sick man. As much as she hated to admit it, he probably was guilty of killing all those people.

"I've narrowed down our target to the female agents. They are probably weaker than the males, and they will be easier to get to. All of you will need to write down their names for future reference," Jude preached. "Agent Jareau is the one that you guys see on all the news broadcasts. She's a little blonde who looks like a Barbie doll. It'd probably be too easy to take her down. I found out that Agent Garcia is another blonde lady, but I don't know much about that one. If you want, take it into your own hands to track her down. I had the pleasure of meeting Agent Prentiss today. She will be my target. She has almost black hair, and she's skinny."

"You won't be able to get her," Nikki mumbled. She bit the inside of her cheek the second she realized she said that out loud. She felt the other staring at her, and she could have punched herself for being so stupid. Jude looked down at her, and formed a fist with his hand.

"What did you say Nikki?"

"At the hospital today, I got to see one of the hurt agents. He's a really sweet guy, and I know that he didn't do this to himself. He was really hurt Jude. He could barely talk," Nikki said quickly. Maybe Jude would just let her go. She couldn't do this anymore.

"You've been brainwashed Nikki," Jude said.

"What? No!" Nikki shouted.

"Young Nikki was brainwashed by the evil working for the government, the evil making the laws of this country, and they tricked her," Jude continued.

"No! I met them, but they barely talked to me. Agent Garcia wanted me to help her decorate the hospital room with stuffed animals, and Agent Jareau looked like she was about to cry. It was really sad. I don't think we should try to hurt one of them."

"Are you trying to back out of our group?" Jude asked.

Nikki looked around at the others, and she suddenly felt scared. She barely knew any of these people, and all of them looked completely serious about attacking the FBI. None of these kids were much older than her. Did they really think they could get away with this?

"Yes," Nikki said quietly. She wanted all of these people out of her house.

"You can't just get up and leave," Jude threatened. "All of us are sticking together. Do you really think we can risk you telling everyone? You want ruin Harold's life along with ours?"

"I won't tell," Nikki promised. She felt her heart pounding when Jude walked up to her.

"Of course you won't tell," Jude whispered. "Do you really want to know what we'll do to you if you try to leave?"

Nikki shook her head, but didn't make eye contact. She should never have told him that she wanted out. That was mistake. Humanity was so far advanced and yet, no one had created a time machine. She needed that more than anyone else in the world she imagined. She would never have met Jude in the first place.

"You don't want to know what we'll do it you if you try to leave, but you're not going to leave anyway. Are you?"

Nikki pathetically shook her head again, and kept biting the inside of her cheek. It calmed her down when she was nervous. Jude patted her on the head, and went back to his speech.

"I am planning the attack on Agent Prentiss. Like I said, she's a skinny bitch who deserves to be taken down a notch. Women need to put back in their place. I don't want someone like that bossing me around, and she was acting like she was king in that pig station," Jude said.

"What are we goin do to her?" one of the kids asked.

"That's where you guys come in. I want your input," Jude said smiling. "All Harold really needs is a distraction. If the pigs think that the serial killer is still out there, they will leave Harold alone. Do you think we should kill her?"

Nikki stayed quiet. She didn't really like Agent Prentiss, but she couldn't really blame the woman for attacking her. Nikki didn't know what Agent Reid looked like then. She probably would have been attacking people too if one of her friends ended up like that. Nikki didn't want Agent Prentiss to get hurt.

"Is she hot?" another one of the boys asked.

"To each his own," Jude replied. "I never liked pigs, but she wasn't bad."

"If we don't kill her, she could get us in jail," Ashley complained. "We need to kill the bitch if we attack her. I don't want to end up in prison cuzza her."

"Point taken," Jude said. He was drawing a picture on Nikki's white board, but Nikki still couldn't believe how the other kids were hanging on his every word. They were all nuts.

"How are we going to get her alone?"

Nikki watched Jude draw a disturbing image of Prentiss with blood on her chest. Nikki looked away. She couldn't believe this was really happening.

"She's not going to be hanging around her little friends 24/7. We just gotta find her when she's alone. Shouldn't be too hard," Jude said as he finished his little drawing. "Just one little bullet to the chest should do it."

"Don't we want to make it look like the other unsolved murders?" another kid brought up. "None of them were shot. I heard one of them even got their tongue removed!"

"You're right," Jude said. "We will need to match it up."

"Hey, can we make it look like the Black Dahlia murder? That one was never solved, and that girl was cut all the way in half. Can we do that?"

"And all of the victims were raped too! You said she's hot?"

Nikki had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. These guys really were idiots. Not only did they want to rape a federal agent, they wanted to cut her in half as well. Most of these kids were still in high school. In fact, some of them were in her classes. This would be interesting for sure.

"We need to plan this out though," Jude said. "I'm not going to make any mistakes. We need to plan this out step by step, and Nikki?" Nikki glanced at him, and tried not to start laughing again. "You're with me every second."

_and thus ends chapter 43. who else is super freaked out by jude though? hes not the smartest tool in the shed but he is dangerous. like i think id rather meet harold than jude. i dont think im harolds type anyway cuz im a girl hahaha. poor nikki and poor poor james. its going to totally SUCK 4 him when he has to watch those tapes. i think id just quit while i was ahead. so how 2 get reviews this time? um, me singing like the bunny to his carrot: ill do anything 4 u. theres nothing i wouldnt do. with you, i always want 2. la la la la la la la la la la la la la lah. ya, ill stop. im not as cute as the bunny and his carrot...but if u guys review, ill update faster! yay!_


	44. Chapter 44

_so this is the newest chapter. i sure am writing a lot lately. i think its cuz i know its coming 2 an end so im kinda excited lol. its terribly sad and im going 2 miss it when it ends. im giving harold 2 the world of fanfiction tho. u guys can use him if u want 4 ur stories that u write. he is very well developed and id hate to see him dissapear forever when the story ends. just if u guys do use him, give me some kind of credit and send me the story cuz id LOVE 2 read haha. im not going to tell u what happens 2 harold n my story tho. u guys will find out soon enough. ha ha ha ((that was supposed 2 sound like a vampire with a creepy accent)) _

J.J. saw Reid wince as the doctor looked down his hospital gown. She turned away out of instinct, but she wasn't going to see anything even if she didn't turn. The doctor was on the other side, and he barely lifted the gown off Spencer's skin. She knew that the doctor was probably only being modest about it because Garcia and she were there. She used the small opportunity to text Prentiss, and let her know that Reid was awake. Hotch wanted her to let him know if anything was happening at the hospital when he left, and Reid waking up was a definite happening. From the look on his face though, he wasn't going to be awake for much longer. He looked exhausted. Why did he have to be so tired? She wanted him to wake up, and be immediately better, but he wasn't.

She felt her phone buzz with the answer that Hotch and Prentiss were on their way back. She was going to write them again when the doctor finally looked up from writing in his notes. She squeezed Spencer's hand, but he didn't squeeze back. She looked at him, and was sad to see that he was starting to fall asleep. He hadn't been awake for that long. He managed to see Garcia's stuffed animal design, and to meet that teenager, but that was basically it.

"You still awake Agent Reid?" the doctor quietly asked.

"Yes," Spencer weakly replied.

"I'm going to ask you to get some more sleep," the doctor said. J.J. watched Spencer try to stay awake, against the doctor's orders, but he slowly failed. His brown eyes shut, but J.J. never let go of his hand. The doctor walked around to the other side of the bed, and smiled when he saw that Spencer was sleeping.

"It is up to all of you to make sure that he gets his rest," the doctor said in something slightly higher than a whisper. "I don't think he's getting enough sleep, and that's what he really needs right now. He is recovering from pneumonia on top of everything he went through during his abduction. People who try to get better before their bodies are ready usually end up sicker than they were before. I don't want that to happen here. This young man can't really afford to get sick again this soon."

"So what do we do doctor?" Garcia whispered.

"Just try to be quiet whenever you are visiting him. Talking quietly shouldn't be a problem, but try to avoid loud television noises and ringing phones."

"What about his nightmares?" Rossi asked. "Should we wake him?"

The doctor looked solemn as he looked down at sleeping Spencer. J.J. pulled a stray hair away from his face, but she felt more relaxed when she heard his breathing get deeper. She wanted him to get better. She wanted Morgan's arms to heal up, and she wanted to go back home. What all of them really needed was a vacation. They needed a place to escape, but she knew none of them would get that escape until Harold was locked away forever or dead.

"I think it depends on the severity of the nightmare, but most likely, you should wake him," the doctor said. He circled around, and lightly lifted up Spencer's sheets to look at his bandaged up ankles. "Thrashing around from a violent dream could reopen the stitches, and he has a lot of those on his back." He put the sheet back down, and scribbled something else into his notes. "The one thing I don't like about waking people up from their nightmares is that they are more likely to remember what the dream was about than if they slept through it."

Well, that answer didn't help at all. She wished that she could take his bad dreams away. He didn't need to remember anything that happened. She knew that they were going to wake up the boy genius from any nightmare that he had, but she didn't like knowing that he would remember what he was running from in his dream.

No one said anything when the doctor wrote down a few more notes from the numbers on Reid's beeping machine. There was nothing more to say.

"I'll be back tonight to check on him, but his bandages will need to be changed soon. I'm trying to put it off, but some of them have blood on them. He wasn't too fond of me touching him a few minutes ago. I think it would be a good idea to have one of you in the room with him so I will let you guys decide which one. I don't think he should be left alone either," Meyer said. He smiled at them before he left the room.

Garcia sat down beside her, and Rossi sat down on the other side. All of them were lost in their own thoughts so the silence that came with the doctor's news wasn't awkward. It was a needed silence that helped give them all peace of mind. It stayed quiet until Hotch and Prentiss hurried in a few minutes later. Both of them sounded like they were out of breath, but they both saw Reid's sleeping face. J.J. was still holding onto his hand.

Prentiss sat down on the footrest of Rossi's chair, but Hotch stayed standing. J.J. wondered if any good came out talking to Harold's lawyer. Maybe this guy would bail out too, and leave Harold without a lawyer right before his trial. J.J. knew how he was being pressed for an early trial date, and that was going to happen. Harold's trial was going to be the next week, and not a single lawyer in town could prevent that.

"What happened?" Hotch asked quietly.

"He wasn't awake for very long," J.J. told them. "He was awake when his doctor came in, but he was asleep before he left."

"He needs to sleep more," Garcia added.

"The doctor wants to change his bandages," Rossi continued. "He twitched when the doctor was looking at the wraps on his back. He was almost afraid."

"Morgan is like that too," Hotch said. "Neither one of them are going to court. I don't want them seeing Harold ever again. I don't think the other survivor should have to go either."

"Susan?" Rossi asked. "She wants to go I think. I talked to her earlier. She really is something else," Rossi said smiling. "I think she should meet Morgan. They have a lot in common. I asked her to see Reid when he's feeling better."

"Aww. That's so sweet," Garcia said almost getting too loud. J.J. shot her a knowing look, and she instantly got quieter. "He'll like that. Won't he?"

"They lived through the darkest moment of their life together," Prentiss said. "That's something they will always share. It will be good for them to see each other again. They saw the face of the devil, and they survived."

"I think it's all this medication that he is on that's making him sleepy," Rossi pointed out. "Morgan was never this tired."

"Morgan doesn't always tell us how he feels," J.J. said quietly. She was still sitting next to Reid, and she didn't want to wake him up. Everyone turned towards Hotch though the second they heard his phone buzzing away.

"Hotchner," he said into the phone. "Yes, I was going to come by the station later this afternoon."

J.J. wondered what Reid was dreaming about. Did he have any idea what was going on outside the hospital? He probably couldn't even begin to fathom the media coverage on Harold's case. It was bigger than anything they had ever seen before. He wouldn't believe it if she told him.

"Yes, thank you for telling me," Hotch said. He slipped the phone back in his pocket. "Harold just attacked a police officer at the station."

"Oh my God," Garcia exclaimed. "How?"

"The officer got close to Harold's cell, and he grabbed him. The officer wasn't hurt, but Harold was still asking for Reid." Hotch leaned against the back wall and sighed.

"Unbelievable," Rossi mumbled. "Does he really think that we're going to stop by with Reid, and let them have some alone time together? What is he thinking?"

"I don't think he does think," Prentiss said.

What had Reid done to get the attention of a psychopath? J.J. couldn't understand why that creep liked poor Spencer so much. She understood that Spencer simply fit the type of people that Harold was attracted to. It had nothing to do with who he really was or what he liked, but that didn't make her feel any better. If Harold was ever released from prison, he would go straight after Spencer again. He wouldn't learn any lesson from spending time behind bars. He wouldn't change, and he would never understand how much he hurt Reid both physically and mentally. Harold needed to die.

* * *

James hung up his phone, and shoved it roughly back in his pocket after hearing about Harold attacking another officer. This guy wasn't making it any easier to defend him. The longer James waited, the less he wanted to watch those tapes that the agent was talking about. He didn't tell Ms. Caldwell that he was going to check at Harold's house. He didn't really want her to be near him anymore. She gave him bad vibes. Two officers drove him over which James did appreciate. He would get lost in the house without an escort, and it was beautiful inside Harold's front gates. The lawn was a dark green, the statues near a fountain looked peaceful, and James had to do several takes when he noticed how many garages Harold had. Apparently, there were stables somewhere on the property as well, but they were empty. Harold didn't like the smell of horses.

He stretched his legs when he got out of the car, and smelled the fresh grass and the few flowers that were blooming this time of year. He really couldn't wait to get in the house. He could barely see all the way to the top of the house when he stood on the front porch. It certainly didn't give off the feeling as a place of torture and death. He wanted to move in as soon as the case was over. He turned to look at the cops who were just getting out of the car. He didn't become concerned until he saw one of the cops sit back down.

"I'm not going back in there," James heard the cop say.

'Come on, it's not that bad," the other one bargained. "Nobody is in there anymore."

"That makes it worse. I'm not going. I'll wait out here," the cop argued.

"Fine. We won't be that long probably."

The cop who agreed to go inside climbed the stairs up to the porch while James stared at the stubborn one still sitting in the car. What was wrong with him? It was just a house. James didn't ask the other cop until they were both inside.

"Why doesn't he want to come?" James asked.

"Both of us were there the night they arrested Harold," the officer replied.

James didn't answer. He didn't want to know what it was like that night or what the cops saw that made them never want to come back. James turned to look around, and his jaw slightly dropped when he saw two large staircases leading to the upper levels of the house. He would get lost in there without a tour guide.

"What rooms do you want to see?" the officer continued.

"Let's see Harold's bedroom," James said. James wanted to see what Harold saw every morning when he woke up. It would help him understand where his client's mind set was coming from, and he wanted to look around to see if there was anything the police might have missed in their original search.

"Stairs or elevator?"

James smiled. He had never been in a house before that had elevators. He had no idea if Harold's mother had elevators in her house, but he definitely wanted to ride the elevator.

"Elevator."

"Good, I didn't want to climb all those stairs."

The elevator ride wasn't that long, but James noted the classical music playing inside the roomy compartment. Harold was a very educated man. He had distinct tastes, and the inside of the mansion reminded James more of the Victorian era more than anything else. There were not many modern pieces of furniture or electronics in plain sight. The police officer didn't look like he was very comfortable, and he kept glancing at the little map he brought of the house. Harold's room wasn't very far from the elevator, and James thought that Harold probably wanted it that way. He probably took the elevator down to breakfast each morning.

Harold's bedroom was in perfect order. The bed was still made, and a dog dish sat near the television. James saw that all of the tapes that were once there were removed along with the diary that Harold kept on his nightstand. James quickly read through the titles of the books on the shelf, and wasn't surprised to see a lot of Shakespeare. Nothing out of the ordinary stuck out to James, and James still wanted to move in if he could change things around. The lighting of the room was dim, and that would annoy James' eyes for long periods of time. The furniture looked ancient as well, but nothing was out of place. It was like a museum.

"Could you take me to where they found Harold?" James asked the officer. The cop didn't say anything, but he shook his head to acknowledge that he heard James. James shut the door behind him, and it was very eerie. He almost expected some ghost to pop out at every corner or to hear the laughter of little children. James decided right then that he would not want to spend the night alone there, but this still didn't look like the house of serial killer.

When the officer led James to a door that seemed out of place, James felt his heart start to speed up. The door opened to a long staircase that seemed to never end. That wasn't what frightened him though. The stairs didn't look like they would hold up much longer. He carefully balanced his weight on the stairs, and followed the cop up. James didn't turn around to look down. He was never fancy of heights, and this narrow staircase looked like it could kill. He was out of breath by the time they reached the top, and he took a minute to recover. When he looked up, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The hallway didn't look like it had ever been taken care of. There were cobwebs in the corners, and the wooden floors had small holes in them. There were only three doors in the hallway, and James wanted to see what was in all three. He imagined a hallway like this to be in the Tower of London or a torture chamber in the Middle East. James didn't want to be there anymore.

"The last room is where we found him," the cop said.

"Okay, let's look in there first," James replied. He followed behind the officer like a scared kitten, and he really was expecting something to jump him when the door opened. The cop turned on his flashlight, and they went in the room together.

James was taken back by the horrible smells that overwhelmed him. He actually had to cover up his nose to keep himself from belching. What was that smell? He could definitely smell urine and sweat. James wanted to just walk out when he figured out that the last smell was blood, but he couldn't just leave. He walked further into the room, and saw an old table positioned near the center. Rusted chains hung from the walls, and James almost went into shock when he saw all of the weapons near the table. He kept his hands over his mouth as tightly as he could. What the hell was this place?

"The woman was found hanging on that wall," the officer said pointing. James went near the wall, and felt sick when he saw the chains with the little spikes on them. "The agent was found on the floor behind the table." James walked behind the table, and squatted to look at the floor. There were massive amounts of blood on the hard floor, and James could picture someone bleeding to death there. "Harold was on the floor eating his servant."

James couldn't take anymore. He ran out of the room, and he urgently looked for a bathroom, but he couldn't find one. He went to the corner, and felt the scone he ate at lunch time come back up. He puked it out, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. The officer didn't say anything. James had never seen that much blood in his life, and he knew that he never smelled it before. It was almost a rustic smell, and it made James' stomach turn just thinking about it. He needed to go outside or he would puke again.

"Let's leave," James demanded. The officer looked relieved, and James almost tripped going back down the stairs. He couldn't get out there fast enough. He didn't look back, and the classical music from the elevator didn't soothe him. Even if the tapes didn't exist or the photographs that Harold sent to the FBI, James still wouldn't be able to win this case. There was more than enough evidence in Harold's little rooms upstairs.

* * *

Jude needed to make everything was planned out. He didn't have time for mistakes. Attacking a federal agent didn't leave any room for mistakes. He needed to make sure that his people knew exactly what they were doing. If this worked, the media would be convinced that the serial killer was still on the loose. Harold would have a chance of getting free.

"We are going to need a few girls to watch this woman for today," Jude started. "We need to know her schedule. We need to know when she will be alone." Jude eyed Nikki who was sitting alone on her bed. She was going to be a problem. He knew how women were, and how they liked to keep all their secrets locked up inside. He really didn't know what she told the agents or how well she liked all of them. He was not going to let that little bitch out of his sight. She could ruin everything, and he couldn't let that happen.

"I can," Ashley volunteered. "Jamie and Marissa can come with me."

"Sounds good. Watch her movements," Jude said. He was back to drawing on the whiteboard. He couldn't wait for the attack. "Figure out where she hides her gun."

"They only have guns in the movies," Josh called out from the back.

"No way, all agents have guns!" Ashley shouted back.

"She will have a gun," Jude said calmly. "We will have to find her gun. That will be her one advantage over us. Once we have her gun, she will be easy to overtake. She will probably be keeping it at her side in a holster. Make sure we don't accidentally shoot her though when we take it. She can't die that way." James drew a face on the board, and outlined the black eyebrows that Prentiss had with her dark hair. "Who wants to attack?"

Several boys started shouting out from the back, and Jude had to close his eyes to keep himself from lashing out at the idiots.

"I only need four. Let's go with," Jude said turning around from the board, "Josh, Brad, George, and um, Tony." Jude heard the high fiving from the boys in the back, and he went back to his drawing of Prentiss. "We'll have one of the girls distract her. While she isn't looking, Josh and George can take her down. Brad you will grab the gun, and Tony will knock her out. We can take her back to the shed behind my house when she's unconsciousness."

"Then who gets to rape her?" Josh asked.

"I don't see why only one person has to rape her. We can take turns," Jude said. He did want a turn. He couldn't remember the last time he had a girl of his own, and he did like the shape of Prentiss' breasts. He couldn't wait until she was under his control. She would have to beg for her life from him, and that's how it should be. No woman should ever be bossing him around, and that cunt went around bossing everyone around. He hated the government so much. The law was the reason he lost his father, and he forever hated anyone involved in it.

"Then how are we going to kill bitch?" Ashley asked.

"Let's cut off her head. I want to keep some of her hair," Tony suggested.

"That's creepy," Sammie argued back. "Let's cut her in half like the Black Dahlia. They never caught who did that to her."

"Well, do you know how fucking hard it is to cut someone in half?"

"No harder than cutting her head off!" Sammie shouted.

"We can figure out how we kill her once we have her," Jude said taking control again. "I want her death to be painful. She deserves no less."

* * *

Rossi wasn't sure why he decided to go with Hotch back to the station to watch the tapes with the lawyer. Rossi would be perfectly happy never to see another minute of the tape, but he thought he owed it to Morgan and Reid. He wasn't there when they were abducted, and he still felt it was partially his fault for allowing them to be with Harold for that long. He was having a huge dinner in Harold's dining room while two of his friends were suffering upstairs. He should have been the one who was chained up, not them.

"Why do you want to help the lawyer?" Rossi asked as he sat down. The conference room was smaller than he was used to, but it would be enough to watch another tape. The television set seemed to stare at Rossi, and he tried his best to ignore it.

"I don't know," Hotch said. "I was looking at his credentials earlier, and we went to the same high school. I never met him before this, but maybe showing him these tapes will make him back out of the case. Harold doesn't deserve a lawyer."

Rossi was about to ask another question when the lawyer walked in. He pulled up a chair next to Hotch, but he didn't say anything. He almost looked sick.

"I'm guessing you saw Harold's house?" Rossi asked politely.

"I don't really want to talk about that," James said quietly. "Who are we watching on the tapes again?"

"Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid," Hotch said. "They are two of my best agents. I've started watching the tape already, but we still have a long way to go."

"You haven't missed much," Rossi added.

"Great," James mumbled.

Hotch pressed the play button, and Rossi sat back in his chair. It was hard to distant himself from what was happening on the screen though, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget that the two people crying on the TV were two of his best friends. The tape wasn't the same one that they had been watching earlier. Rossi noticed that right away. Morgan and Reid were in worse condition with fresh blood dripping from their open wounds. Morgan was either sleeping or passed out on the far wall, but Reid was still awake. Reid's bony legs were flat on the floor, and Rossi winced when he saw the spikes digging into Reid's ankles. The kid wasn't event trying to cover himself up at that point. He was too weak to care. Rossi noticed that Reid's calf was almost hidden by the scarlet covered blood on his leg. He was recently stabbed. Reid didn't even look up when Markus strolled into the room. Markus looked like he was about to leave when Reid finally lifted his head up.

"I've brought you some water as promised," Markus said as he sat down next to Reid. Markus held out the water bottle in front of Reid, but the kid didn't even open his mouth.

"Wake up Morgan," Reid said in a voice that didn't sound like his own. "He needs it more than I do." Markus didn't look too thrilled at Reid's request, but he went over to Morgan. As carefully as he could, he touched Morgan's cheek. Morgan woke up instantly, and Markus fell back down on the floor from surprise. He got back on his knees, and held up the water bottle.

"I'm sorry," Markus stuttered out. "I just brought some water."

Morgan looked over at Reid before he started drinking. Rossi knew at the rate that Morgan was drinking that his stomach wouldn't be able to handle it. Just as Rossi predicted, Morgan coughed up most of the water seconds later. It took time for the human body to adjust back to food or drink after being denied it for so long. Morgan knew that too, but Rossi couldn't blame him for being so thirsty. Rossi would have done the exact same thing. Markus looked terrified when Morgan started coughing, but he didn't move until Morgan stopped.

"Thank you man," Morgan said quietly. Markus didn't even look at Morgan's face as he walked over to give Reid what was left of the water. Reid drank the rest of the bottle in a matter of seconds. The kid didn't cough up the water, but he didn't get as much as Morgan. Markus put the empty bottle back in his jacket and stood up to leave.

"Thank you," Reid said. "Can you please…are our friends still looking for us?"

"They're here," Markus replied. The strange man shut the door before another question could be asked.

"What does he mean?" James asked suddenly. "Were you guys searching the house then?"

"No," Rossi said turning to face him. "Harold was having a party that weekend. He likes parties, and he was kind enough to invite us. I went to the party with another agent."

"You didn't see anything or hear anything strange?"

"You've been to the house. It's hard to hear what's going on in the next room, but I didn't see anything stranger than Harold cornering me in the bathroom to talk about _The Wizard of Oz_."

James opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped. There really wasn't much to say when you find out your client liked talking about children's musicals while he had two federal agents tied up upstairs. He put his pen down, and looked back at the screen. Reid brought his legs up to his chest to give himself some privacy, and Morgan was weakly tugging at his chains.

"I knew they were coming," Morgan said. Reid didn't say anything, and Rossi noticed how sick the kid was looking. Morgan apparently saw as well, and he started dancing around with strange movements. Rossi knew they all would have been laughing at him if it was under different circumstances. He looked like he ants in his pants.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked when he spotted Morgan's rain dance.

"Trying to get these pants off," Morgan replied. "You need them more than I do." That statement really broke Rossi's heart. He knew that it was freezing in that room, and Morgan was using a lot of his energy to try to get those pants off.

"Morgan, even if you got them off, how could you throw them over here to land on me? I couldn't catch them," Reid said.

Rossi knew he was tearing up when Reid told Morgan that his back was hurting. Rossi couldn't get a good look at his back from the camera angle, but he knew what it looked like from the photographs. He didn't really want to see it again. When Harold stormed in the room a few minutes later, Rossi noticed that James perked up. Up to that point, James only saw the emotional interactions between Morgan and Reid with a little Markus on the side. He hadn't seen what Harold was capable yet. Apparently, neither did Rossi.

Harold roughly tore Reid from his chains, and threw the kid on the table. Reid cried out from his rough treatment, and Morgan was shouting. After splashing some of Reid's blood on Morgan and ripping Reid's wounds back open with the cat's claw, Harold climbed onto the table behind Reid. The young genius' face was towards the camera, and everyone saw Harold's hard sex rubbing up behind Reid. Rossi had to look away when Harold forced himself into Reid. The kid screamed louder than Rossi ever heard before, and Morgan was shouting every curse word he could think of, but that wasn't going to save Reid.

James got up, and turned the television off without asking Hotch or Rossi. Rossi was very grateful for that small action. He didn't think he could watch anymore. Rossi would never refer to Harold as human again. No human being could inflict that much pain onto another.

"I'm leaving," James announced. "This is sick. It's sick and it's wrong, and I don't want to be a part of this anymore."

"What are you going to do?" Rossi asked.

"I'm going to talk to Harold's parents, but I don't think I can do this case anymore. I don't want to represent someone like that. There is no way I could win his case, and even if I did have a chance in hell, I don't want someone like him walking the streets," James said in one very long breath. "I don't know how you guys can sit there and watch that!"

"They are our friends," Hotch said.

"I would never want to remember my friends like that," James answered. "I am frankly surprised that they lived through this. Do they know about the tapes?"

Rossi looked at Hotch, but neither one of them spoke for a moment. Morgan knew about the pictures that were taken. He was actually staring defiantly into a few of them, but Rossi didn't know if anyone told them about the video camera.

"They will never watch the tapes," Hotch finally said. "I'm not going to mention the tapes to them, and I hope they never bring it up."

Rossi knew that none of them would ever even mention one of the tapes around Morgan and Reid. They had enough healing to do already. It would devastate both of them to know that everything they went through would live forever on the tapes. Rossi really wished he could set every single one of those video recordings on fire. They needed to be burned.

* * *

Evan sat in the back room of the police station with his hand massaging his head. He couldn't believe that psycho just attacked him. What would have happened if the others didn't hear him calling? He didn't think it was possible for Harold to have killed him from behind those bars, but it was terrifying all the same. His trial couldn't come fast enough. Evan didn't want that monster sitting in the place where he worked.

He hated the idiots outside almost more than he hated Harold. Why in the world were those people rooting for the monster to be set free? He knew that they never the psychopath and that most of them never would, but they needed to shut their mouths. Harold was the man responsible for the death of his sister. Joanne would never see the light of day again, and she had such a bright future ahead of her. She wanted to get into criminal justice as well. She wanted to help put men like Harold away forever, but she never got to graduate college. Evan kept reliving the last time he saw her alive, and he knew he would for the rest of his days. She wanted him to go walk the dog with her. She was staying with him for the weekend, and he had some time off work, but he blew her off. He had more important things to do. He never saw her again.

Evan stood up to get back to his shift when he noticed Harold's infamous tapes sitting across from him with the rest of the evidence. Evan knew he shouldn't be messing with that crap. The lawyers and prosecutors needed that to give Harold the death penalty. Evan just wanted to show the people the kind of person that Harold really was. It would make them leave the police station alone. Evan looked both ways, and silently went to look at the evidence. He saw Harold's old diary, photographs of the dying agent, the boxes of VHS tapes, and then he noticed something else. In a much smaller box, he saw several DVDs. It looked like someone had converted all of the old tapes into DVDs. Evan smiled and grabbed one of the discs from the top of the pile. He slipped it into his jacket, and left the evidence room.

_im surprised i finished this chapter too. dont ask how im publishing this fast but i dont question it so neither should u guys. i wont get another chapter up tho 4 a while unless i get a bunch of beautiful and fun reviews. reviews make me very very happy, so happy that i do spongebob's butt dance. dont ask. i swear im not crazy lol. im just special. and to make my little happy readers laugh, someone needs to make a character like this: Got out of jury duty by prefacing every answer with "according to the prophecy_" _harold isnt really religious and jude just doesnt like law...or women...or law...so REVIEW! pweez_


	45. Chapter 45

_dont know how i feel about this chapter but here it is. yay 4 susan coming back. and kinda markus. but not really cuz hes dead. so sad. i miss him. he was a fun guy 2 work with. i liked him better than jude. i wanted 2 skip ahead 2 the next day 4 the attack on prentiss but i havent been sicking like anything so i had 2 write about the third night in the hospital. fun stuff. and james needed to go back 2 his hotel sometime lol. so ya, here it is. chapter 45. _

James had planned to go to dinner after viewing the tapes with the agents, but his stomach wasn't growling by the time he left the conference room. He felt sick to his stomach, and he knew that he would have thrown up if he didn't already puke in Harold's house. James defended some pretty sick individuals during his time in the court room, but he never met a man like Harold before. James was not a quitter. He took on the most difficult cases one could imagine, but he couldn't handle this case. He still heard that young man's screams when Harold assaulted him, and he was half convinced that he should visit a psychiatrist just so he could sleep at night.

He wanted to go home to spend the rest of the evening by himself. He needed to think things through before he spoke with Harold's nutty mother. She might kill James herself if he backed out of the case now, and so he needed to choose his words carefully. An officer stopped him as he tried leaving the station.

"McCartney?"

"Yes," James answered. He saw the wild crowd outside, and he wasn't looking forward to going out with them. "What is it?"

"You've been getting quite a few letters," the officer said gesturing towards a large stack sitting on a desk. Judging from the harsh writing on the envelopes, James knew it was from all the crazies out there holding poster boards.

"And they are all from?" James asked. He already knew, but he thought it would be better to ask to make sure he wasn't going nuts. He wasn't going to read any of the letters. He wanted out of the case. If it was up to him, Harold's head would be on a stick in an hour or less. A man like that never deserved to see the light of day again.

"Harold's groupies," the cop said. "Harold has been getting more letters than you." The cop pointed towards two large boxes on the floor by the desk. They were both spilling over the top with colored envelopes and stuffed animals. James couldn't believe it. Why the hell were idiots sending him toys? Even if he wasn't guilty, a stuffed bear wasn't going to help him feel any better. James wanted to show them the tape that he just saw. That would make them all stop this radical behavior. It would make them see Harold for what he really was.

"Just throw mine out," James said.

"I think the president of Harold's fan club will be picking his crap up," the cop said. The cop threw all of James' letters in the trash. James didn't look twice. He didn't want any of the negative energy anywhere near him.

"Fan club?"

"Yeah, you didn't hear about them? They've been on the news," the cop replied. "The FBI hasn't been talking, and since they are quiet, Harold's groupies have been looking for their 15 minutes in the spotlight. Creepy if you ask me."

"What do they call themselves?"

"Caldwell Cuties."

James laughed. He couldn't help himself. What kind of title was that? Even during his awkward teenage years, he never joined any kind of creepy club or cult. He was never interested in that. Then again, he didn't have his first girlfriend until college.

"You should watch their interviews though," the cop continued. "These idiots are really dedicated to their cause."

"I just might tonight," James said walking towards the door. James never watched the news during new cases just because it might warp his views towards his client, but none of that mattered anymore. In his mind, Harold was no longer his client. It was over. James looked outside, and he felt so small holding his little briefcase against his chest. The swarm of people seemed like they would eat him alive if they could.

"Mind walking me outside?" he asked the cop. The cop laughed at him, but they walked outside together. The crowd lost interest in James once they realized he wasn't one of the feds or someone in Harold's immediate family. They didn't really know who James was. His name was announced when he took the case, but he avoided being on camera until he was ready. They never saw his face before. He could just be a poor soul visiting a relative in jail.

The drive back to the hotel was a quiet one, and he collapsed on his bed seconds after walking through the door. He never thought hotel beds could be comfortable, but he could barely keep his eyes open when his head was sinking in the pillow. It would be perfect if he didn't have the nightmarish images from that damned tape still stuck in his head. It was almost like he was there when that poor man screamed from pain during his rape. James flipped on his back, and turned the television on. He needed a distraction.

It was dinner time, but he wasn't going to eat until something pleasant crossed his mind. He was searching for the cartoon channel when he saw a reporter standing in front of the hospital. James sighed, and sat back to watch that. It wouldn't hurt to watch a few minutes of the most popular story on the news.

"There is still no new information about the conditions of the two agents in the hospital. Apparently, one of them is still listed in serious condition, but we don't know which agent that is," the pretty brunette told the camera. James didn't really know what kind of shape the agents were in. He didn't bother to ask Agent Hotchner. It wasn't any of his business.

"Thank you Josephina," a woman at the news station said. The screen switched to another one back of their main office. A man and a woman sat behind a desk smiling into James' room.

"We now have Mrs. Caldwell with us who is joining us through satellite," she continued. James sat up. "She is Harold's mother, and she has been with him since the very beginning. How are you Mrs. Caldwell?"

"I have been better," a familiar voice answered. The camera focused on a screen in back of the reporters, and Mrs. Caldwell was sitting in an elegant chair from her mansion. James felt sick to his stomach. He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't his case anymore. He wouldn't have to deal with this woman.

"How is your son?"

"My poor son has been through hell and back. All of us are still in shock that he could be accused of such brutal crimes. The lawyer that we hired is confident of our success in this case, and it won't be long before Harold is back home. I just hope that he can recover from something like this. You have no idea what it's like to wake up to people shouting at you from the front gates. It's simply horrible."

"What do you think happened to the agents then? One of them is awake, and he is blaming your son for his injuries."

"All of that is simply absurd," Mrs. Caldwell replied. "Harold's home is quite large, and it would be easy for someone to slip in unnoticed. Someone else is responsible for the murders in the area, and I believe that the government is involved somehow."

"What do you mean?"

James was on the edge of his bed. It wasn't going to affect him if the woman said what he thought she would, but he couldn't believe that she could be so stupid. She deserved everything that was happening to her.

"I won't get into details yet, but both of the agents do have very interesting backgrounds that I think the public should know about. It will make you think twice about the case."

At this point, after watching part of one of the tapes himself, he didn't want any personal information about either one of the agents reaching the public. It was nobody's business that one of them was sexually abused or that one of them had a mother living in a mental hospital. Olivia Caldwell was probably the one person who did have to watch the tapes. There was no way that she could argue about what her son did. He was a serial killer.

* * *

Rossi felt kind of bad about how James looked when he stopped the tape. Rossi felt the same way, but he was better at hiding his emotions. Hotch didn't let on to any of them what he was feeling one way or the other. Rossi suggested going back at the hospital for a little dinner with the rest of the team. None of them were eating proper meals, and all of them were going to collapse from exhaustion if they didn't take a break. Hotch drove them back, and both of them snuck in the hospital through the back door. The hospital wasn't any less quiet at night, but the nurses were over the shock of a national case getting care there.

Morgan was still with his mother and sisters, but the rest of the team was sitting quietly in Reid's room. Garcia had bought more stuffed animals and was casually filling every blank space she could find with a furry friend. It made Rossi wonder how many toys were really allowed to be in there, but he hoped a nurse wouldn't stop her. It made her happy, and all of them really needed a happy spot. J.J. was sitting near the bed with her eyes on the machines, and Prentiss looked like she was trying not to fall asleep on the chair by the window.

"Anyone hungry?" Rossi asked quietly. He remembered that Reid needed his sleep. For once, he did look like he was at rest. His breathing was steady, and his eyes weren't quivering underneath his eyelids. He was looking so much better than when Rossi saw him that night. "My treat."

"We can't just leave," J.J. began.

"We'll just be downstairs in the cafeteria," Rossi said cutting her off. "Morgan and Reid wouldn't want you moping around like this. Maybe it's just me, but all of us need a break."

They mumbled in agreement, and they left Reid alone for the first time since he was brought there. Rossi knew that everyone's mind was on the same thing as they picked out what their dinner would be, and it was quiet for the first half of their meal. Even Garcia seemed to have lost her spunky self. This case was going to kill them all in the end.

"Has Strauss called at all?" Rossi asked to start conversation.

"I talked to her earlier," Hotch said without emotion. "She knows what's happening. She doesn't expect any of us back for a while."

"Glad she had heart about that," J.J. said smiling. "Remember that one she called you Garcia? What did you tell her again?"

"Talk dirty to me," Garcia said laughing loudly. "I think I've been careful ever since."

"She probably never forgot it either," Prentiss said.

"I think you scared her more than she scared you," J.J. said. "You should have seen her face. She was so shocked!"

"You should have seen my face! I think I looked like a zombie or something. You guys should have warned me that she was going to call."

"None of us knew," J.J. said smiling.

"I blame all of you," Garcia replied. "I don't think she'll ever like me again." Rossi smiled, and put some of the mashed potatoes in his mouth. When was the last time they really got to be together and just enjoy each other's company? It seemed like it was forever ago. It felt good to laugh, and to momentarily not worry about anything.

"Does she really like any of us?" Prentiss asked.

Rossi was about to pitch in on the conversation when he heard mentions of the FBI on the television behind him. He turned slightly, not to distract the others, when he saw Mrs. Caldwell speaking on the news. He wasn't going to tell the others, but when he turned back, they already saw. The smiles were wiped from all of their faces almost instantly.

"What is she saying?" J.J. said. She stood up and looked at Hotch.

"What interesting backgrounds does she know?" Prentiss asked. All of them were standing up, and looking furious. What did Mrs. Caldwell know about Morgan and Reid? He was sure that she didn't know her lawyer quit yet, but what information did he dig up before he quit? Did he know about Reid's mother? Hotch looked angry enough to start slamming his own fist into walls.

"Garcia, can you find me that woman's number?" Hotch asked.

Garcia was already fumbling around with her purse while struggling not to knock the plate of food on her lap. Rossi didn't think he had ever seen her look that angry. An attack on one of them was an attack on all of them.

"Yeah, give me a few minutes," she replied. She was pulling out her phone pad, and was typing away when Rossi finally stood up. Their moment of peace was over, and once again, Harold was the cause of the turmoil.

"Do you think she knows about Reid's mom?" Garcia asked while she searched for the number.

"I don't know what she knows, but I'm not going to let her release anything about any of my agents," Hotch said firmly.

"She acted like she knew the backgrounds of both of them," Prentiss pointed out. "I think she's trying to be worse than her son."

"I don't think it's possible to be worse than him," Rossi said. "The lawyer walked out during one of the tapes. A man who is used to working with criminals couldn't handle it."

"She raised him," Prentiss argued back. "I think that woman knows a lot more than she is letting on."

"I don't care what she knows," Hotch said. "All I need for her to do is keep her mouth shut. Find that number yet Garcia?"

"Yeah, I'm sending it your phone. A million cell numbers popped up, and they're all linked to the same address. This is a very busy lady," Garcia said as she looked over the numbers.

"Got it," Hotch said. He walked out of the cafeteria with the phone glued to his ear.

"I'm calling the station," J.J. said once Hotch was gone. "The news station isn't going to release any information even if that evil woman says something." Rossi didn't really know how much she could do. When working with the media, anything was possible. The media usually only worked for themselves. They didn't care who they hurt in the process.

Garcia finally stood up after J.J. left, and Rossi wasn't happy to see that not a single one of them finished their meals. What could he do though? None of them would ever feel the same until Harold was locked away. He even thought that Morgan and Reid would heal faster if they were at a hospital close to home, but he wasn't going to mention moving either one of them until they were in better shape.

"I'm going to sit with Reid for a while," Rossi told them. He didn't know the kid as well as the rest of the team did, and he knew that he acted harsh towards Reid sometimes. He was almost jealous of Reid's brain power. Rossi liked to think that he knew everything there was to know about certain serial killers, and then he met Reid who could quote word by word from his book. He hated how people really only acted like they cared for others when lives were in danger, but he wanted Reid to know that he was there for him. Rossi never wanted Reid to get hurt.

* * *

Nikki felt miserable. Jude had been on her back all day long. She wasn't even allowed to use the bathroom completely by herself. Another girl always had to present, and Nikki was starting to fear for her safety. Nothing about this was normal. Jude was making a detailed plan of exactly how the attack on the agent would go, and it was actually making sense. Nikki had to warn somebody, but she never got a moment alone.

Her own mother didn't even question anything as teenagers ran about her house all day long. If her mother put the alcohol bottle down, she might realize something was wrong. Nikki finally got to leave the house with Jude and Oliver when Jude got a text that Prentiss finally left the hospital. Ashley was following her, and Jude wanted to know exactly where she went. Prentiss wasn't alone, and they were bringing Nikki to see if the other person was a threat or not. They stopped at a coffee shop to blend in while the agents walked by. They were heading west on foot, and this was one of the first places to were going to pass.

Jude ordered a coffee for himself, and Nikki kept her head down low while the guys talked. She didn't listen to what they were saying. She wanted to crawl into bed, and forgot the day ever happened but she couldn't do that. She started this mess, and she had to get out of it. While Jude had his back turned, she scribbled as fast as she could on a napkin. She didn't really know why, but this was the only paper she could find to write on. She wasn't going to let anyone get hurt because of Jude and his band of dweebs.

"She's coming this way," Jude said suddenly. Nikki crumpled the napkin, and left it on the table. She couldn't even finish the note. She just hoped that the agents did come to this coffee shop, and did sit at this table. With Jude watching her as closely as he was, this was all she could do.

* * *

Garcia couldn't believe that it was Prentiss who asked if she wanted to get a coffee. Garcia hadn't really been out of the hospital all day, and it was nice to smell the fresh air. The sun already set, and it was peaceful in the cool breeze. They didn't have much conversation on the way over there, and Prentiss went to the bathroom before they even found a place to sit. Garcia didn't mind. She was happy to get away from the rude reporters, and the strange smells in the hospital. She did really want a coffee.

She sat down at a table off to its own, and she started looking over the menu. A chocolate coffee with a muffin sounded delicious. She hoped Prentiss came back before their waiter came, but then she noticed the rumpled up napkin in front of her. She thought it was disgusting that someone left a used napkin on the table, but then she saw writing on it. She pulled the napkin open using two pens from her purse, and tried to read the letter despite its bad grammar.

_TO AJENT PRANTIS_

_BOYS ATTACK U SOON. DONT WALK ALONE AT NIGHT. SRY 4 NOT_

The note ended there. Garcia suddenly became wary of everyone around her, and she folded the napkin back up. She ordered two coffees to go before Prentiss even got back. She was scared. She knew that the note was for Prentiss, even know the name was spelled wrong, and she didn't want anyone else getting hurt. She wanted to go back to the hospital. They were safe there.

Prentiss sat down across from Garcia after Garcia had gotten the coffees in a tray. Prentiss raised her eyebrows, and looked at Garcia.

"I thought we were drinking here? How did you know what I wanted?"

"I know you Emily," Garcia whispered. She didn't want any freaky looking boys spying on them, and she had to watch what she said. She passed Prentiss the note in the napkin. Prentiss smiled when she opened the napkin because she probably thought it was one of many Garcia's fun filled games, but she stopped smiling when she read it. She didn't even tell Garcia what she thought, but she picked up the coffee tray, and walked out of there faster than Garcia did.

Garcia struggled to keep up with Prentiss' long strides back to the hospital, but she noticed two girls across the street that were staring at them. She picked up her legs a little bit to catch up to Prentiss, but the two girls were gone by the time she looked back. Garcia hugged her purse closer to her chest, and wanted to be back in the safety of the hospital more than anything. The girls were just teenagers, but it was freaky to see them disappear like that. She didn't want any ghost-like teenagers attacking Prentiss.

* * *

Fran tried to fall asleep despite the constant footsteps outside her son's door. She somehow managed to convince her girls to sleep in hotel rooms while she stayed with Derek. They were young women who needed their rest. She knew that both of them would return to work soon enough, and being sleepy from visiting their brother wouldn't be an excuse. It hurt Fran to see Derek trying to walk around with bandages up to his shoulders. She knew about the whip lashes on his back and chest, and it was impossible to see the wraps covering up his ankles. It was his choice not to mention it to her, and she didn't think he ever would. This was the life he chose for himself. This was what he needed to do, and she would support it until the end.

She prayed every night that nothing bad would happen to Derek, and she had to be grateful that he wasn't dead. She knew that his friend was in worse shape than he was, and that he would be better in no time at all. He was able to goof around with his sisters for most of the night, and he was complaining for as long as he could when she decided to spend the night with him. He didn't fall asleep until the movie they were watching on the little TV on the wall was almost over. She knew that he was trying to stay up longer than she was, but she wasn't on pain medication. She made sure the blanket was wrapped tightly around her son before she turned on the television to sleep herself.

She didn't remember falling asleep. Nobody really ever does, but it was strange waking up to the beeping of those hospital machines. She gave herself a minute to remember where she was, and then she turned over to her side to get back to sleep. She didn't know what woke her up, but she knew the girls would be there bright and early. She needed her rest. She closed her eyes when she heard her son mumbling in his sleep. She lifted herself up, and saw that his hands were clenched around his sheets and his head was moving against the pillow.

"Get your hands off him," Derek mumbled. Even in his sleep, he was trying to protect someone else. She couldn't be more proud of her son.

She remembered the night before he started kindergarten; he broke his leg playing a wild game outside. He was so upset that night. He didn't want any of the other kids teasing him, and he despised the idea of getting pushed around in a wheelchair. He knew that he could do it himself. She sent all of the kids early to bed that night, but she woke up after midnight hearing Derek talking to himself from his bedroom. She snuck in, and saw that her baby was having a nightmare. She crawled to the edge of his bed, and wrapped both of her hands around one of his. She was careful not to wake the sleeping child up, and she gently hummed of one the rhymes she sang to him as an infant. Her baby stopped struggling in his sleep, and his breathing returned to normal. He was back to dreaming about kicking bad guy's butts, and the first day of school.

Just like many times before, Fran got of bed, and walked over to her son. His hands were so much bigger than when he was six, but she took hold of one of them. She sat down in the chair near the bed, and started humming despite the sweaty hand. She concentrated on the uplifting tune, and she felt like a wonderful mother when Derek stopped moving around. His head fell to one side of the pillow, and he entered a peaceful sleep once again.

She went back to her one bed once she was confident that Derek was alright. She knew that she would be the only one who ever knew about the nightmare that her grown son faced during his stay in the hospital. It was right that she would be the only one to know. Some things were just meant to be for a mother to know. She laid her head back down on the pillow confident that her son would sleep well that night.

* * *

_Reid's arms were sore from being held above his head for so long. He was sure that both of his arms would eventually break, and that Harold wouldn't try anything to fix them. He kept his chained feet close to his chest to keep himself a little bit warmer, but his head was aching. His tongue felt dry in his mouth. Death would be a welcomed release at this point. He couldn't take much more of what Harold was putting him through. _

_Reid heard the door open and he weakly lifted his head to see Markus strolling in. Reid kept his legs tightly together. Markus never hurt him, but Reid didn't want to take the chance that he would. Markus looked at Reid, and then over at Morgan. Morgan was fast asleep on the floor with his head tilted to one side. His chest was covered in dried blood._

"_Is he dead?" Markus asked._

_Reid looked at Morgan, and saw his dear friend's rise with a deep breath. Morgan wasn't dead. He was exhausted, and he needed to sleep. Reid was sure that he needed to too._

"_No, he's sleeping," Reid replied._

"_I'll get rid of him," Markus said. He unhooked Morgan's arms, and they fell down to his chest. Morgan wasn't moving, but Reid knew he wasn't dead. They were just talking, and Reid could still see him breathing._

"_What are you doing to him?" Reid asked. Reid was waking up more with every passing second and he didn't like how Markus was treating Morgan. Markus ripped off Morgan's pants and boxers, and threw the heavier man into a cart._

"_I need to drop him off now."_

"_He's not dead," Reid pathetically shouted. He didn't want to be alone in there, and he knew that Harold liked to drop off the bodies of the dead in front of their homes. Morgan didn't even live in this state. He wouldn't make the drive back home. "Please Markus, he's not dead."_

_Reid saw Morgan move his head as Markus wheeled him out of the room. What were they going to do Morgan? Reid tugged on his chains, and ignored the sharp pains that came with the tiny spikes digging into his wrists. He didn't want to be alone with Harold, and he didn't want Morgan to get murdered because they thought he was already dead. He wasn't dead and he needed Reid's help._

_Reid was still pulling at his chains when Harold walked in. Reid pulled his legs back up to his chest out of instinct, and stopped struggling with his leash. He didn't want to draw any more attention to himself, but Harold was already smiling at him. Reid held his breath as Harold kneeled down in front of him._

"_How are you doing this evening?"_

"_Where's Morgan?" Reid asked. _

_Harold unhooked Reid from the chains on the walls, and dragged him by the hair over to the table still wet with Reid's blood. Reid landed with a grunt on the table and he tried crawling away while Harold undid his pants. Morgan didn't have to deal with this anymore. Reid should have been happy that Morgan was finally away from this, but he wanted to disappear too. Harold kept Reid from moving far by holding onto his bony hips. _

"_Please stop," Reid begged. "Please."_

_Suddenly, Reid heard Susan screaming in the background. He looked towards the wall that once held Morgan prisoner, and saw Susan was there. She was ripping at her chains and kicking her feet against the wall. _

"_Let him go you asshole!" _

_Reid promised to help her find her son. He remembered that. Harold took her little boy and she wanted Reid to help her get the boy back. Nobody else knew the kid was there._

"_Harold, I won't fight if you let her son go," Reid said quietly._

"_Are you really in a position to make bargains right now?" Harold asked._

"_He's just a little boy," Reid said. "He doesn't deserve this. Send him home. Send Susan home. All you want is me."_

_Harold paused, but he pushed himself into Reid a moment later. Reid wasn't expecting it. He didn't know what he was expecting, but he wasn't expecting that. He screamed._

* * *

Hotch had so much on his mind. There was always so much to do, and sleep always tended to be last of that list. Mrs. Caldwell never answered the phone calls that Hotch made, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to call again first thing in the morning. He wanted to know exactly what that woman planned on saying. She had no right to talk about the personal life of anyone working for the FBI. He didn't care about how she found out about Reid's mother or Morgan's abuse as a child. She wasn't going to tell the world, and he was going to make sure of it.

He needed to call Jack when he woke up. He couldn't remember the last time he talked to his son, and he had been so busy the last few days that he couldn't afford time to make a simple phone call. With Harold's trial being right around the corner, he had to give himself some personal time before he went crazy. He missed Jack, and he knew that his team needed time just to rest up. Nobody was getting any sleep at the hospital, and he noticed.

Hotch cracked his eyes open slowly after not realizing that he had fallen asleep. His back hurt from falling asleep in a chair, but he didn't plan on moving right away. He was exhausted, and he wanted to go back to sleep. He thought he was having a good dream, but he couldn't really remember. That was when he saw Reid was completely on his back with most of the white sheet that was supposed to be on the bed was on the floor. Reid was thrashing about from a violent nightmare, and it took Hotch that long to realize that Reid needed help. He could have hit himself for not waking up sooner.

The rest of the team was just starting to wake up. Prentiss got on the floor from her own makeshift bed, and Rossi was already at the end of the bed to control Reid's legs. Hotch helped get control of the other leg while Prentiss and J.J. held down his arms. Hotch noticed more blood soaking up the bandages, and he blamed himself for sleeping through all of that. Garcia put her hands over Reid's cheeks, and talked gently to him to calm him down. Hotch barely heard what she was saying. Reid was a lot stronger than he thought, and the poor kid was trying as hard as he could to get away from whatever was in the dream.

"Morgan, he's not dead. Don't hurt Morgan," Reid cried out.

"Wake him up!" Rossi shouted. Garcia tried talking louder, but Reid wasn't waking up. Hotch noticed that he was sweating, and he had opened more than one set of stitches during the nightmare. Hotch didn't tell Rossi, but he saw a little bit of blood on the sheets around Reid's inner thighs. Reid needed to go back home. Hotch was confident that would help him recover.

"Susan, no…" Reid mumbled to himself. "Harold, stop!"

It took Prentiss lightly slapping Reid on one of his cheeks to wake him up. He stopped moving suddenly, and opened his eyes wide. He slowly looked at his team members, and relaxed back into his pillow. Hotch and Rossi released their grip on his legs, and J.J. pulled the blanket back over his body. Everyone looked exhausted. Hotch decided that this would be the last night all of them slept in the hospital. Reid and Morgan wouldn't be left alone, but they could take turns. He wanted all of them to go back home as soon as possible. They needed to get away from the spotlight just so they could rest and the guys would be able to heal properly.

"How are you feeling?" Rossi asked Reid. Hotch was positive that Reid opened some of his stitches back up, and that he would be the one to tell the doctors.

"What time is it?" Reid asked.

"After 3am," J.J. told him.

Hotch sat back down, and waited for the rest of the team to settle back into their makeshift beds before he went looking for a doctor. Reid was fast asleep in minutes. Hotch would have to remind the doctors to keep the dosage of pain medication on Reid as low as possible. Reid was hurt when he found out that he was being drugged up. He didn't need any added pressure, but Hotch thought it would be a good idea for him to talk to Susan as well. She would be able to help him in ways that the team couldn't.

_and so, chapter 45 ends. harolds trial is going to be in the next few chapters as well. i have NO idea how 2 write a court room scene, like at all, so this will b interesting i guess. i know trials can take YEARS to actually happen but we need 2 speed this up. i dont want to write about the 5 years in between harolds arrest and his trial. thats not going 2 happen. and something funny 2 help u remeber 2 REVIEW:_

After twelve years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes. He said, "No hablo ingles."

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW

u might get a cookie =)


	46. Chapter 46

_sorry 4 the delay guys. its been finals at school, and i havent really been feeling this chapter. so ya...um, im working on my last final now so then ill have more time 2 write which will b awsum. i will finally b able 2 finish my story. dont forget 2 wrie me guys if there is somethin u wanna see happen n the story. i like 2 plz my readers =)_

Evan made sure to put the original DVD back into the boxes before he left for the night. He didn't even know what pour souls were on it, but the public needed to know the truth. Once they knew, they would stop protesting and giving stupid interviews to the media. He drove home to change, but he snuck out into the living room after his wife fell asleep. She didn't stir as he crawled out of the bed. If she did wake up, he was just use the bathroom and go back to bed. She didn't need to know what he was doing. He stuck the DVD in his laptop, and sped up the disc so he just got to see what was happening. He didn't need to hear what was being said. Hell, he didn't want to see the violence on the screen. He just wanted to make sure his sister wasn't on it. It started out with the last moments of Clayton Morrison's life. Evan tried not to focus on what the man looked like. He didn't want anything that gruesome even in his house, but all of this was real. The people needed to know. He watched Harold check the vital signs of the man, and the scene with Clayton ended with the removal of the body. The camera flashed a black screen for a moment before it transferred to Samantha Huntington. Her story took up most of the DVD, and while he hated to show the media the death of a teenager, it would get his story across. The camera spent less time on her body after her death than it did of the man, but Evan didn't question why. He didn't care why Harold did what he did. The DVD ended with the butler hooking the two agents to the walls, and taking off their shoes and socks.

The next morning, he woke up at the crack of dawn. His wife didn't question why he left so early. She knew that having a celebrity prisoner meant longer hours at work. He didn't even eat breakfast. He went right to the hospital, and parked his car in back. He didn't need any of the press seeing what kind of car he drove. He tried to keep down low. The police force wasn't that big in the town, and it would be fairly easy for them to find out who he was if they tried. He approached the first reporter he saw. It was a man with dirty blonde hair in his early 40s. The man looked tired. Evan guessed they were there all night waiting for a break in the story.

"Good morning sir," Evan said to the reporter. The reporter looked back at his camera man before facing Evan.

"Good morning," the reporter said. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I have a DVD that might be of interest to you."

Evan watched the reporter's eyes light up. He shoved his hands down his pocket to search for his wallet. Evan smiled, but he didn't want payment.

"One of the Caldwell tapes? Which one? Do you know who's on it? Where did you get it?"

"Clayton Morrison and Samantha Huntington. There is also a small clip of the federal agents at the end. A lot of it is very graphic, but I want the public to know what kind of monster Harold is. Where I got the tape is confidential."

"How do we know if it's legit or not?"

"If you don't want it, I could move on," Evan said. The reporter almost panicked at the thought of Evan walking away. He pulled out a wad of money and presented it to Evan.

"It's not a lot, but I could get you more later on," the reporter explained.

"No need," Evan said. Evan pulled the tape out of his bag, and looked both ways as he gave it to the anxious reporter. Evan walked back to his car before the reporter could start questioning who he was or if he had any relation to the victims.

* * *

Anne put the last of her clothes into her little suitcase. Cistine was asleep in her carrier, and Kyle was playing with a teddy bear that one of the officers gave him. The news was on, but Anne wasn't paying attention. She had to drop of the children at a friend's house so she could go look at Markus' body in the morgue. She dreaded making funeral arrangements, but her brother deserved all she could give. She didn't know what she would do if that agent wasn't helping her.

"Breaking news," a woman told the camera. "We have just received actual footage from the Caldwell house."

Anne set the suitcase on the floor, and sat on the edge of the bed. She had heard all kinds of monstrous stories about what happened, but she never saw actually what happened. She could barely imagine what the poor victims what went through or what her brother had fight against. Maybe these tapes could result in contributions from the community to help with the funeral. It would show the world what kind of hero Markus was.

"This content is not suitable for children," the woman continued. Anne glanced at Kyle who was too entranced in the bear to know what was going on in the television. The reporter and her desk blended into a dark room with no windows. Anne clenched her hands together in anticipation. She saw her brother push the door open. The door opened with a loud creak, and he pushed a cart into the room. Two men were lying unconscious in the cart. Anne held her hands over her mouth to keep from making a sound. Markus took the younger man, and dragged him across the room. He hooked up the man's hands to chains on the wall with skill. The man's head fell to his side, and Anne saw a trail of blood going down his cheek. Markus took off the man's shoes and socks, and went over to the other man. He hooked the other man to the wall, but left him in a standing position. Markus also removed this man's shoes and socks. He threw the shoes with the socks back into the cart, and wheeled out of the room. The door slammed behind him, and Anne noticed another body lying in the center of the room underneath a table.

"It looks like Harold Caldwell was working with an accomplice," the woman said as she came back on the screen. Anne felt sick. She felt a tear fall down her face. That video couldn't be true. It just couldn't. It looked like Markus was actually a part of what went on in that house, but that wasn't true. He was a hero. He was trying to help the victims.

"What's wrong mommy?" Kyle asked. She wiped her eyes dry, but she couldn't stop thinking about how easily Markus locked those men to their chains. It looked like he had been doing that for years, but that couldn't be true. She put the suitcase back on the bed, and picked up baby Cistine in her carrier.

"Do you want to go back to the hospital with me Kyle? We can get a small ice cream afterwards if you want."

"Can I get chocolate? I don't like vanilla."

"Yes baby," Anne said. She didn't care. She needed to ask the FBI what happened. They would know if Markus was involved or not, and she had a right to know. She needed somebody to tell her that the video wasn't real.

* * *

Hotch woke up with a headache that morning. Nurses were in and out every hour during the night to check on Reid. The doctor didn't want him catching pneumonia again, and they were concerned about his stitches. They decided not to change the bandages until the next day. Hotch was almost positive that they just didn't want to keep the rest of them awake. The only ones who stayed asleep, or pretended to, were J.J. and Garcia. The rest of them opened their weary eyes to watch the nurses scribble down notes while they checked Reid's vitals.

When Hotch woke up, he stayed completely still. He wasn't going to wake the rest of the team up just because he wanted to stretch his legs. Rossi had his mouth open in a soft snore only a few feet away from him. Hotch had no idea how Rossi could possibly get comfy in that chair, but he looked like he was in a deep sleep. Garcia and J.J. weren't moving from the fold out bed the hospital provided, and Prentiss fell asleep on the floor. Rossi kept offering her the chair, but she kept refusing. She liked to prove that she was just as tough as the men, but Hotch didn't think it mattered anymore. They were there for Morgan and Reid.

Hotch planned on calling Jack later that day. He was also going to start making the team go back in the hotel in pairs just so they could sleep. Normal people couldn't function like they were. He would send J.J. back first. She had so much to deal with when she talked to the media. She needed a break. He would send Garcia with her. Garcia didn't go out with them during cases that much and it was really taking a lot out of her. Hotch felt guilty. He didn't force any of them to sleep at the hospital or wake up every hour because of the nurses, but he was still responsible for all of their well beings. They needed sleep too.

Hotch lost himself for a few minutes in his own thoughts, but a nurse walked in with a loud cough. He found himself jerking awake even though he wasn't asleep. Rossi was moving around next to him, and he saw Prentiss stretching out her back. It was morning, and he knew his team would push forward no matter how tired they were. The nurse didn't even acknowledge them or ask if Reid slept through the night. She lifted up his sheet to check for any bleeding, scribbled something down along with his vitals, and left. Hotch didn't like her.

"Anyone else want coffee?" Rossi asked. He stood up, and lifted his arms over his head. J.J. and Garcia sat up in their bed, and Prentiss rolled her neck to wake her muscles up.

"I do," Prentiss said.

"I want all of us to have some alone time today," Hotch said. He stood up, and he could smell the dirt on his clothes. "We need to all go back to the hotel today to rest up and shower. I don't want a complaint from a single one of you." Hotch wanted to send them in groups of two to be on the safe side, but there was five of them. Somebody would be left out. "J.J., you and Garcia can go first. Go out the back door so you don't have to talk to anyone."

"But Hotch," J.J. exclaimed. "Harold's trial is coming up, and the media is still outside."

"I can deal with them for a few hours," Hotch said firmly. He wasn't going to let anyone talk him out of this. "I'll call you immediately if I get any news from the doctors regarding Morgan or Reid, but both of you need to rest. None of us have been sleeping."

J.J. looked like she wanted to argue more, but she stayed silent.

"Just take some time for yourselves," Hotch said. "Not all of us need to be sleeping in the hospital every night. We can do it in groups."

"Who will be staying here tonight?" Rossi asked.

"We can discuss that later," Hotch said.

"I'm keeping my cell on," Garcia said. "Remember to call the second anything happens." She went over to Reid, and kissed him on the cheek. Reid didn't move, but Hotch told the nurses last night to lower his pain medication. He would have to tell the doctor later that day. Reid didn't want all of those drugs in his system.

"Let's go get some breakfast downstairs," Rossi said after Garcia and J.J. finally left. "I'm starved."

Hotch nodded, and followed them out. He looked back at Reid to make sure that he was still resting on his side. Reid hadn't moved since Garcia's kiss. Hotch felt his stomach growl, but he never really paid attention to how hungry he really was. He always had other things on his mind. They got into the elevator, and Rossi pressed the level of the cafeteria.

"I'm getting sick of hospital food," Rossi commented. None of them said anything, but Prentiss pulled a rumpled napkin out of her pocket. She handed it over to Hotch.

"Garcia found this at the coffee shop last night," Prentiss said.

Hotch read over the bad handwritten note and flipped it over to read the rest, but it was blank. Somebody was clearly threatening Prentiss. He gave the note to Rossi, but he wasn't hungry anymore.

"You think these are the groupies you were talking about earlier?" Hotch asked.

"It says the boys attack soon," Rossi said.

"Remember that creep I saw at the station yesterday? I'm sure it has to do with him," Prentiss said.

"And maybe that girl that Garcia met…what was her name?" Rossi asked.

"The girl with the pigtail? You saw her too?" Prentiss asked.

"Yeah, she came up with Garcia while you guys were out. She was acting strange like she had to be somewhere. Why would they want to hurt you?" Rossi gave the note back to Hotch as the elevator came to a stop.

"I think I might of pissed that guy off at the station. I made him leave because he kept staring at me."

Hotch headed for the stairs as soon as he got off the elevator. He was going to the station to look at the footage from yesterday. He knew that stations had video cameras for safety, and he would be able to find out who that man was yesterday that made Prentiss uncomfortable. He could stop the groupies from attacking anyone.

"Where are you going?" Rossi asked.

"I need to make some phone calls," Hotch said. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

Reid thought the beeping noises were part of his dream until he heard Hotch's voice talking into a phone. Reid stretched out one of his hands. Where was he? He woke up here before he remembered, but his mind wasn't thinking straight. He didn't feel tired anymore, but his rear end was burning. He tried switching positions, but he gasped when a searing pain went through his body. He paused when he heard Hotch stop talking.

"Yeah, I want to look at the tape you have from yesterday afternoon. I can be there," Hotch stopped. Reid didn't want to interrupt. He didn't know what Hotch was talking about, but it had to be important. Reid held his breath, but he couldn't stop a cough from coming out of his throat. He coughed up phlegm into a tissue near his bed, and laid his head back down.

"I'll call you back," Hotch said.

Reid coughed again into the napkin, but he was more concerned about the sharp pains between his legs. He couldn't remember what exactly happened to him. He remembered waking up several times before in the same hospital bed. He was rescued from Harold's house…how long had he been there? Was Morgan still there?

"How are you doing Reid?" Hotch asked. Hotch sat down in a chair near the bed. Nobody else was in the room. Where was the rest of the team?

"I'm alright," Reid said. He tried switching positions again, but it hurt every time he moved. He gasped again, and settled back down in the bed. Why did it hurt so bad? "How long have I been here?"

"Just about three days."

"Where's Morgan?" Reid asked. He remembered seeing Morgan in a wheelchair. When was that? Maybe he was already out of the hospital.

"He's still sleeping."

Reid nodded, and looked around. He remembered seeing the stuffed animals from before. Garcia brought them. He saw cards lying across his nightstand, and that was when he spotted the pain medication. He couldn't have that. He was an addict. He couldn't have any more drugs.

"Don't worry Reid," Hotch said. "It's not that much. If you didn't have it, you'd be in unbearable pain. You need it, and all of us are here for you. You're not alone."

"Where is everyone else?"

"They're eating breakfast. We didn't wake up that long ago."

Reid looked down at his hand, and couldn't get his eyes off of the bandage that was tied around his wrist. All he could see was his fingers, and he moved them around. It still felt like he was chained in that room. Why did he keep expecting Harold to walk in at any moment? That thought frightened him. He had to keep reminding himself that he was safe. It was over.

"Is my arm broken?"

"Yeah," Hotch said. "It was broken in three places, but your arm is doing fine."

"What else did the doctor tell you?" Reid was sure that the doctor told them everything, but he didn't want the whole team knowing what he went through. He didn't even want to know what he went through.

"You were stabbed in one of your calves, and the chains cut into your ankles and wrists. Those are healing nicely though. You caught pneumonia too. It's been a rough couple of days, but all of us are so happy you're back. We haven't left you alone since you got here."

Reid smiled shyly. He was happy to be back. He remembered thinking that he was going to die in the house. He almost did die.

"When can I sit up?"

"Your back required the most stitches. The doctor can tell you more, but they've had you sleeping on your stomach and your side."

Reid nodded his head in understanding. He didn't even know what his back looked like, but he felt the strong bandages whenever he moved. They were wrapped all the way across his chest so it felt like he was wearing a tight sweater. He wanted to go home. An overwhelming sense of homesickness went through his mind. He wanted to be in his own bed.

"Ah, you're awake Doctor Reid," an unfamiliar voice said. Reid looked up, and saw a doctor come into the room. "We've met once before, but it's alright if you can't remember. My name is Dr. Meyer, and I am the one in charge of your care. You look more awake than you did last time. How are you feeling?"

Reid watched Hotch stand up to let the doctor get closer, and Reid felt his heart start to race. He didn't want to be alone. Reid knew his thoughts were unreasonable, but he didn't know the doctor. He didn't want Hotch to leave him.

"I'm not going anywhere Reid," Hotch assured him.

"He can stay as long as he wants," the doctor added. The doctor looked at one of the machines connected to Reid, and jotted something down when Reid caught hold of his breathing.

"I'm alright," he finally said.

"How does your back feel?"

"It stings whenever I move," Reid said. Reid didn't want the doctor there.

"And how do you feel, um," the doctor paused and glanced at Hotch. "How do you feel down there?"

Reid wished the doctor didn't ask him that. He knew that Hotch knew exactly what happened to him and Morgan while they were chained away, but he didn't want to think about it. Reid looked at Hotch to help remind himself that he was safe. Harold was locked up somewhere. Nothing else could hurt him.

"It burns," Reid confessed. "I think it hurts more than my back most of the time." Reid didn't know if that was true or not. He could be thinking that it hurt more because he wasn't used to that kind of pain. He had been hurt plenty of times, but nothing ever invaded his body before.

"Can I look at some of your stitches?" Meyer asked after he jotted down more notes. Reid hated being treated like a science experiment. Reid was awake now, and all he wanted to do was be with the rest of his team. Reid nodded at the doctor who then moved around to the other side of the bed. Hotch stayed standing, but his presence calmed Reid down. Reid felt safe.

"How have you been sleeping? My nurses say you've been having nightmares?"

Reid felt the doctor untie his hospital gown which made Reid shiver. He didn't like being touched. The cold air in the room reminded Reid of Harold's house, and it took all of his will power to keep from breaking down. Nothing bad was going to happen.

"I don't remember them," Reid lied. He felt the doctor gently poke at some of the bandages, and Reid tried to ignore the pains that came with the touch. The doctor tied the gown back up, and circled around to the other side of the bed.

"It looks like a few of the stitches have broken open. I'd like to have that taken care of today. One of your biggest threats right now is infection, and I don't want that to happen. Does this sound okay with you?"

Why did doctors always treat him like he was five years old? He wondered how many patients argued with what their doctor wanted to do. He knew that the risk of infection of high, and the last think he wanted to do was get sick again. Reid nodded his head at the doctor.

"Good. We'll have that done as soon as you're ready. We should get some of these bandages changed as well, but that won't take too much time. I'll let you wake up a little bit more first."

Meyer smiled at both of them, and went out of the room with his clipboard. Reid coughed again into his tissue, but he knew he was getting better. He was coughing up all the junk that was in his lungs, and he'd rather it be out than in.

"He's a nice guy, don't worry," Hotch said smiling.

"Does everyone know?" Reid asked looking down. He knew what happened wasn't his fault, and there was little he could do to prevent it, but he still didn't want everyone else knowing.

"Know what?" Hotch asked.

"That I was," Reid stopped. He didn't want to use the word rape. He didn't like that word. "What happened to me."

Hotch sat back down on the chair and leaned in close to Reid.

"Nobody thinks any less of you Reid. All of us were there when the doctor told us. You were a lot braver than I would have been," Hotch said. Reid didn't think so.

"And you saw the pictures that Harold took?" Reid asked. Reid remembered Morgan telling him that Harold was taking pictures of Reid when he sleeping. He was sure that he was naked in most of the pictures, and that's just something he didn't want the rest of the team to see.

"Yes."

"I want to get out of this bed," Reid said. He really did want to stand up. His legs weren't hurting, and he wiggled his toes beneath the sheet just to make sure. If he ignored the burning sensation between his legs and the sharp pains from his back, he felt fine. He was sure that he would be able to stand up.

"The doctor was just saying yesterday not to rush yourself Reid," Hotch lectured. "You need to stay in bed for now. Morgan isn't even walking around yet."

"Did Harold have his trial yet?" Reid quietly asked. He saw that Hotch was taken back by the switch in the conversation, but Reid wanted to know.

"You're never going to see him again Reid so don't think about him."

"I need to know," Reid said.

"The trial is next week," Hotch finally said. "I'm going to have you and Morgan transferred to another hospital back home when you are well enough."

Reid laid his head down. He coughed into the tissue, and double checked to make sure that he didn't see any blood. He was so used to coughing up blood, but he didn't see any. He just felt exhausted. His brain was getting back to the way it used to be, and he was already bringing up facts of what his body was doing to recover.

"I want to go home Hotch," Reid said. He tried shifting positions, but he gasped in pain when he tried moving his hips. He didn't look directly at Hotch, but he knew how concerned he was. Reid didn't want any more pain medication. He could handle this. He nervously licked his lips, and tried thinking about something else to divert his attention away from the pain.

"Are you alright?" Hotch asked.

"It feels like I'm sitting on a flag pole," Reid said hoping for a smile from Hotch, but he didn't smile. "It hurts," Reid said softly. He knew that Hotch already knew, but Reid would give almost anything to make the pain go away.

"Want me to get the doctor?" Hotch asked, but he didn't get up. Reid shook his head, but didn't look at Hotch. Why did any of this have to happen? Would he ever be the same again?

* * *

Garcia almost fell asleep on the ride back to the hotel. She couldn't remember ever being this tired. Hotch told them to stick together, and so Garcia's plan of shopping for more gifts for Morgan and Reid were out. She loved surprising them with presents. It helped distract them from the gloomy hospital rooms they were staying in. It helped distract her as well. J.J. called the first shower, and so Garcia mindlessly turned the television on. She didn't want to be by herself in the silence. She didn't plan on watching any shows, but she wanted something to help her relax. She wanted to take a nap before they went back to the hospital. She wandered into the kitchen when she heard J.J. turn the water on, and the idea of cooking something delicious flashed in her mind. She could make something quick and tasty before her shower. She was sure that J.J. was starving too seeing how they left before breakfast.

Garcia put a fresh bowl of water on the floor for Timothy. He nearly tripped her when they opened up the door, and he hadn't left Garcia alone since. She was proud to his new mommy, and she never planned on giving him back. She felt him licking her ankles, and she laughed in delight. Why couldn't the rest of the world be as pure as dogs were? All they really wanted in life was to be loved. They didn't care if you smelled funny or if you lived on your couch. They just wanted your love, and your food. They loved food. Garcia put a little bit of meat on a plate so the little dog wouldn't starve, and she started looking through the cabinets for something to cook. She wanted something sweet, but a little bit healthy so J.J. wouldn't feel guilty eating it.

They didn't have that much in the cupboards. It was only a hotel room, and buying food was the last thing on their mind. She managed to find a box of cereal and a loaf of bread in the fridge. She wasn't thinking about cereal when she wanted a snack, but she put some pieces of bread in the toaster and poured some cereal into the bowls. She sat down on the couch to wait for the bread to get crispy. Maybe she would be able to find a romantic comedy that she could watch until her turn in the shower came.

"And we have this just released footage of what went on in the Caldwell voice," a woman on the television said. Garcia stopped changing the channels, but that was not out of curiosity for what was on the news. It was shock. She put the remote down, and felt the blood drain from her face when she saw a creepy looking room like from a slasher film. This couldn't be real. A lump got caught in her throat as the camera started focusing. She saw a dark haired man wheel a cart into the lonely room with Morgan and Reid inside. She could barely breathe when she saw Morgan's arm hanging out of the cart. That man was evil. He wasn't even a human being. She didn't think that was Harold, he looked nothing like the picture on her computer, but he tied Reid to a dirty looking wall. She gasped when she saw the blood going down the side of his face. The demon took off Reid's socks, and went over to work on Morgan when she noticed something in the center of the room. She focused on it, and she nearly screamed when she realized it was the body of a dead girl.

She turned off the television, and hurried in the bathroom in the bedroom where J.J. was. She opened the door, and found J.J. fast asleep on the bed. She didn't even make it out of her towel. It looked like she just sat on the bed, and fell asleep without even knowing it. Garcia wrapped a blanket around her to keep her warm. It was cooler in the hotel room, but J.J. still had wet hair from the shower. Garcia closed the door behind her, but she had to tell someone. She went into the other bedroom, and shut the door behind her. She was about to call Hotch when Emily texted her.

"Do you remember what the teens looked like last night?"

Garcia didn't bother texting back. She pressed the button for Emily's number, and listened to phone ringing. Garcia's heart was still pounding. She still jumped every time Freddy pops out during _Nightmare on Elm Street_, and that wasn't even real. This was. All of this was really happening, and she was scared to death.

"Prentiss," her friend said as she answered her phone.

"You're still at the hospital, right?"

"You've been gone for less than an hour. Miss me that much?"

"Get near a TV. Channel 12 needs your attention," Garcia whispered into the phone.

"Why are we whispering?"

"J.J. is asleep," Garcia said.

"Rossi, can you change the channel? Yeah, channel 12. I think it's the news," Emily told Rossi.

"Where's Hotch?"

"He's upstairs with Reid I think," Emily replied. "I showed him the napkin though. He got really upset. He was trying to find out who that creep was from the station. If we can ID him," Emily took a breath in, but didn't finish her sentence. Garcia could hear the lady news reporters in the background. "Oh my God," she finally said.

"They have the tapes?" Rossi shouted in the background.

"Are you okay Garcia?" Emily asked. Garcia didn't notice her voice trembling. She couldn't stop seeing that tall man with the dark hair chaining her boys to walls like they were nothing. Didn't he have any idea how many lives he was hurting by doing that? Didn't he care?

"I don't think I can sleep now," she honestly said. Sleep hadn't crossed her mind since she sat on the couch, and she was sure that the toast was burnt by now. She would make more for J.J. though. She was skinny enough already. "I want to help."

"Rossi is already on his way back upstairs. It will probably only be a few phone calls before that tape is off the air, but how did they get it?"

"It must be the same ones who wrote you that note," Garcia said. They were following Emily and Garcia for a while. Who's to say they couldn't sneak in the station and steal a tape?

"But no one reported any tapes missing," Emily argued. "They are under almost as much surveillance as Harold is. I don't think they could have left the building without someone noticing. Even if someone was visiting a prisoner, there's no way they could have gotten in that room. It must be one of the officers…"

"I keep telling myself that the world is good and that there are still nice people out there, but I don't know if there is. I can't believe an officer sunk that low, and then there was that monster on that tape thing. No human being could have done that to another." Garcia was close to tears. She knew she shouldn't have watched that tape. She knew what it was, but she kept watching.

"None of them are human beings," Emily said. "But you know there are still good people, and that's what we are fighting for. That's why we have this job."

"The truth is out there," Garcia said giggling.

"The _X-Files?_ I didn't know you watched that show."

"I watched a few episodes. Most of them were way scary, but I knew it was all pretend. This isn't. This is real." Garcia felt miserable.

"Stay with J.J. Rossi and me will get that taken off the news. Don't worry. Try to rest, okay? You need it."

"Then just remember to tell me what happens. I don't think I can take a nap when I'm worrying like this. Everything needs to be better." Garcia was telling the truth. There was no way she could sleep knowing that the whole world was gawking at her boys.

"I will. Have a good rest."

Garcia put the phone on vibrate, and went back out to the kitchen. She decided to take a shower first. She knew that she didn't smell the greatest, and food could wait. J.J. was dead asleep, and Garcia was feeling sleepy herself. She threw the burn toast in the trash, and turned the shower on to heat the water up. She slipped the tights off her legs, and finally put her hair down. The warm water was going to feel like heaven against her skin. She knew that much.

* * *

Harold woke up to another prisoner mumbling to himself. He felt his stomach growl as he pushed himself off the hard bed, and he ignored the urge to use the toilet. He wasn't going to go where anyone walking by could just watch. That thought appalled him. He wasn't some kind of animal on display. He still couldn't fully understand how he ended up in a jail cell. His life was going so perfectly. Everything was in order. He wasn't supposed to end up in prison. He stood up to stretch his legs, but the cell was too small to get any kind of proper exercise. He guessed that mommy and daddy failed in getting him out on bail. That wasn't surprising. They only noticed Harold whenever he got in trouble. He was never rewarded for his good marks with his tutors or for his skill with the piano. They never noticed him.

_Harold threw his notebook against the wall in anger, and slammed the door shut. What good was learning if no one else cared? He hated the tutor. He hated that house. He hated his parents. He fell on the bed, and hugged tightly onto his pillow as the tears fell. The pillow wasn't going to ignore or snub him. Why didn't anyone notice him? Was it because he wasn't born first? Was Michael smarter than him? Michael was taller than him, but that was because he was older. When Harold was older, he would be taller too. _

"_What's wrong?" Michael asked. Harold quickly wiped his face dry, and looked over at his older brother. He didn't even hear Michael open the door. _

"_Nothing," Harold said. "Go away."_

"_No," Michael said. He shut the door behind him, and sat on the edge of Harold's bed. "Tell me. Was it mom and dad?"_

"_I got an A on that stupid test, and mom wouldn't look at it. She always looks at your stuff. It isn't fair. I hate her. I hate her forever."_

"_You're only seven years old, and forever is a really long time."_

"_I don't care. I hate her!"_

"_I hate her sometimes too. I think that's normal. She doesn't like to listen. She ignores both of us, not just you."_

"_What do you mean?" Harold finally looked over at Michael. He didn't think Michael was ever ignored. Michael always got what he wanted. _

"_I want to try something. A boy at the party last weekend told me about it, and I want to try it. It could be fun."_

"_What is it?" Harold was interested. He wasn't allowed to talk to people at the parties. He had to stay by mom and dad the whole time because he was too little. He might get in the way._

"_We can try it if you promise never to tell mom and dad. It's a lot of fun, and they wouldn't want us to have fun. All the other kids are doing it though. Do you promise not to tell?"_

"_Promise, promise! Tell me!"_

"_Swear to God, not to tell?"_

"_I swear. Tell me!" Harold was so excited to learn about this secret that all of the other kids did. He would never tell mom. She didn't need to know anything about him anymore. He never wanted to see her again. He wanted her to fall off a bridge and snap her neck. _

"_Take off your pants Harold."_

Harold really missed Michael. Michael was the only one who really knew how to make Harold feel good with his gentle touches, and Michael begged Harold to use the whips. He never fought against Harold which made it confusing at first when the guests did. His world was turning upside down. He knew that the guards would never deliver his messages to Dr. Reid, and that he would never get his phone call. Something was telling him that he probably saw the last of that lawyer, and it wasn't looking too good for him.

_getting more n2 harold's mind was the best part of this chapter haha. susan will b back n the next chapter, promise, and then i should start this trial in which i have NO idea what will happen. half of u want harold 2 get murdered and then the other half want him 2 get away so i dunno. its silly. but um, sum1 reviewed and said that none of this would happen n regards 2 the media and the groupies. manson was a famous crazy dude who had followers, and many killers in jail right now are still getting fan letters. and the media goes crazy whenever something big happens. think of michael jackson's death or he royal will b on the news 4ever thank u. and thats my ramble. plz review! pretty pretty pweez! xoxo_


	47. Chapter 47

_this chapter was a lot easier 2 write and it kinda went by fast. i just wanted to make sure it was up. im goin away 4 a few days so i wanted to give u guys something 2 hold u over lol. um, i wonder if there is anything special in this chapter. harold continues 2 scare me and susan is back. yay! and um ya. i was thinking about having some more stuff on the tapes so let me know what u guys think should happen. its really not lookin good 4 harold, is it?_

Hotch was thrilled that Reid was talking again. The kid still didn't look like he was in the best shape, but he was awake. Hotch was already thinking about asking the doctor when Reid would be well enough to be transferred to a hospital back at home. Reid would do better if he was in another state. He didn't need to be anywhere near Harold. Reid was coughing quite a bit, but he was still recovering from pneumonia. Hotch would be considered if he wasn't coughing, but there was so much Reid wasn't telling him. He knew that Reid just woke up, but he was concerned that Reid would try to ignore everything that just happened or shut out the team from what was going on inside. Reid didn't have that many friends. He needed the team. Hotch would give him time. He needed to recover from his physical wounds before anything else. As much as Hotch hated to admit, Reid still wasn't out of the ballpark with his injuries. His nightmares weren't going away, and it didn't take a lot of thrashing around to open up one of the stitches.

"How is everyone else?" Reid asked.

He kept his head rested on his pillow, but he liked to move his fingers around. That was pretty much all he could move without hurting himself. Hotch still remembered all of the blood around his youngest agent, and the blackness from Harold's eyes. Hotch watched a lot of the tapes, but he still had a long way to go. He wanted to know exactly what Morgan and Reid went through. He wasn't going to ask Rossi to sit through that with him. James couldn't even sit through one, and he worked on cases like this before. That was when he remembered the note that Prentiss got in the coffee shop. He had almost forgotten all about it when he saw Reid waking up.

"Everyone will be doing a lot better once they find out that you're awake. You don't feel tired at all?"

"I'm a little drowsy, but I'm okay. I just think it's the medicine," Reid said licking his lips.

"Let me go in the hall to call them," Hotch said. He needed an excuse to leave the room. He would tell the team, of course, but he needed to make sure that Prentiss was safe too. She wouldn't be leaving the hospital alone anymore. He would make sure of that.

Reid nodded, but didn't say anything. Hotch felt his heart drop when Reid coughed again. He had never seen Reid like this before. The young genius had lost more weight than he needed to, and Hotch didn't like looking at the pad on his forehead to cover up where the car smashed him.

Hotch slipped out into the hallway, but he remained close to the door. He wanted to know if anyone else went into Reid's room while Hotch was talking. He debated about calling J.J. or Garcia, but he imagined they were asleep. J.J. was exhausted, and so he dialed Rossi.

"Hotch? I was just about to call you," Rossi said answering.

"Why? What's wrong?" Hotch was so used to hearing bad news by that point. He thought he should brace himself for it.

"The media has one of the tapes. They are playing it on the news right more, and they are claiming to have more footage on their website," Rossi said in one breath.

"Who was on the tape?"

"It wasn't graphic…but it did have Morgan and Reid getting tied up. There was also a special appearance of Markus taking their socks and shoes."

"We need to get that off the air. Do you have any idea what is on their website? I don't anything with them in it being released to the public!" Hotch was furious that someone stole a tape. Who did it? Hotch was going to find out. They had no right.

"Prentiss is looking now, but I don't think it's of them."

"Why not?"

"If they had anything graphic on Morgan or Reid, they would have tried showing it."

"You're right," Hotch said pausing. He still didn't want any footage with either one of them to be on television or on a website. They didn't need to deal with that. "Reid's awake."

"What? He is?"

"He's been talking to me. He woke up a few minutes after I got up here," Hotch replied.

"How is he? Prentiss and me are coming up there now."

"He's doing better," Hotch said honestly. "He's still really tired, and he's coughing. I wouldn't try to ask him a lot. Don't mention anything about Harold.

"I know, I know. Do you think it would be a good time to see if Susan can talk to him?"

"It might be. I was going down to the station again to find out more about the guy who was harassing Prentiss, and then I wanted to watch more of the tapes."

"Hotch, you don't have to do this to yourself…"

"I need to know what happened. Are you sure that Morgan and Reid don't know about the tapes?" Morgan never mentioned them, but there was a video camera in that room. Hotch still found it hard to believe that two profilers didn't spot it. Then again, Morgan was drugged and Reid had a concussion. When they finally did wake up, it was impossible to ignore all the weapons around them. The tapes would tell Hotch for sure.

"I'm positive. Morgan would have brought them up by now, and Susan hasn't said one word about them. If she knew, I'm sure that would be one of the first things she told us."

"Reid still looks exhausted…I hope they aren't giving him too much pain medication," Hotch said more to himself than to Rossi.

"You saw his back, right? I don't think there could be too much pain medication for that. Didn't you have the doctor lower the dosage anyway?"

"Yeah, I did. He said if he went any lower, Reid would probably be screaming. I want to get him moved to a hospital in Virginia as soon as he is well enough to move."

"That's a good idea. We'll be there in about two minutes," Rossi said. Hotch heard an elevator door close, and heard Prentiss say something in the background. "Let me talk to Reid for a few minutes, and then we can go down to the station."

"What?"

"I'm not letting you watch those tapes alone, but I'm not bringing popcorn. Besides, wouldn't it be easier to catch that creep with two of us?"

Hotch had to smile. How did he ever get along without Rossi?

"Prentiss is staying with Reid then?"

"Susan said she wanted to meet Prentiss too because Prentiss was the one who took off those chains. I just want to make sure Reid is feeling up to seeing a visitor."

"Be better to ask him. I'll see you soon." Hotch put the phone back in his pocket, and went back into Reid's room. To his surprise, Reid was still awake. Reid hadn't been awake for this long since they got him there. Reid was trying to read one of the cards on his nightstand, but it proved to be quite the task with only one working arm. His other arm was still in a cast from the break, but the kid was trying to work with the other one.

"Who got me this one?" Reid asked without looking up.

"Garcia got you about 95% of everything in this room," Hotch said. "It's been hard to keep her out of your room, and when I do, she goes right to Morgan's room."

"Where is she now?"

"I sent her and J.J. back to the hotel to sleep. They could barely keep their eyes open. The nurses around here aren't exactly quiet. Rossi and Prentiss are on their way up though."

"I don't like this pain medication Hotch," Reid said quietly. "I don't need it."

* * *

Nikki wasn't even sure that Agent Prentiss or Agent Garcia got her note. She knew that they didn't spend a lot of time getting their coffee, but they could have gotten some urgent call about FBI stuff. She wondered how many times they got calls about UFOs or possessed kids. That would be a pretty awesome job. Nikki would love to go around door to door just to show off her badge, and say "FBI". That would be beyond cool. Nikki snapped back into reality when Jude locked her bedroom door. She stayed quiet on a chair near her window while the other kids scooted closer to where Jude would speak.

"I think we have gathered quite a lot of information on the agents," Jude started. "The women travel together, and we don't think Agent Garcia is armed. If our target goes anywhere with her, she wouldn't be a problem. The agent I saw at the station, Agent Hotchner, could be a problem. I think he is the leader, and I'm positive that bitch told him about me after I teased her. This morning, we saw the two blonde agents go to some hotel so that leaves Prentiss with the guys in the hospital. It shouldn't be too hard to get her alone."

"If Agent Garcia is with her, do we kill her too?" Evan asked.

"Do we really want to leave any witnesses?" Jude said calmly.

"What if she is with one of the guys?"

"We're not going to attack until she is alone or with Agent Garcia. I don't know enough about the other blonde to tell if she's armed or not, but let's just stick with Garcia for now. Agent Prentiss can't stay cooped up in that hospital forever."

"Her friends are there," Nikki heard herself say. She blushed once she realized she said it out loud, and looked away from the stares of her peers.

"What did you say Nikki?" Jude asked.

"Agent Garcia was so funny when she tried to decorate their friend's room," Nikki said. "She got him like a million stuffed animals, and she was trying to arrange them perfectly before he woke up. He's not that much older than you Jude! He's really not, and he was sweet."

"He deserved everything that happened to him."

"But he didn't! I don't know him, but I know he didn't. He is still having nightmares about whatever happened to him."

"He works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Every day, they work to hide the truth from us. They tell us what to think, what to wear, and how to behave to be considered normal. They will lock you away for being different, and murder you if you try to go against the system. Anyone working for them is an enemy Nikki. That ass put up an act, and you fell for it."

Nikki didn't think so, but she shut up. Nothing she could say could convince these idiots. They were sheep, and they were going to believe whatever Jude told them. If Jude ever wanted to go to college, he could make a fortune as a public speaker.

Jude bent down, and pulled a long crowbar out from underneath the white board. Nikki hadn't noticed it before, but it gave her chills. Where had he gotten that thing? It looked really dangerous. One smack in the head from that thing could kill a person. He leaned it against the wall, and pulled out a small dagger from his back pocket. It wasn't that big, but that thing had a sharp edge.

"The big one is for the bitch, and this little treasure," Jude said stroking the blade, "is for anyone who interferes."

Nikki felt Jude look at her, but she didn't make eye contact. She wasn't only afraid for Agent Prentiss or Agent Garcia. She was afraid for herself too.

* * *

Olivia had a long morning, but it was rather successful. The interview went well, and she was positive of James winning the case. Her baby would be out a jail soon, and everything would be back as it should be.

"I think we should consider taking Harold with us on the trip to Paris," Olivia told her husband. They were having tea in the sun room, and her husband was never the best at keeping up a conversation. She married him for his name, and both of them knew it. He was born with his money, and he was destined to die with it. Divorce was not acceptable in either of their families, and so Gloria knew she made a good choice. It was an added bonus that he was handsome.

"I thought we postponed that trip."

"Oh, we did," Olivia said taking a sip of tea. The warm tea felt good when she was under stress. "But we can always reschedule for sooner. I don't see how that would be a problem."

"Honey, did you ever stop to think that Harold could be guilty of what people say he did?"

"What? No! It's absurd that you would even suggest such a thing."

"There's so many people that were killed Olivia, and Harold was strange when he was growing up."

"There's no evidence whatsoever linking the crimes together. Harold was a smart boy, and he is a very smart man. He didn't kill those people," Olivia assured. "He's innocent."

"When those agents or that woman wake up, they're going to be speaking with the reporters. I just wonder what they are going to say."

Olivia couldn't believe what her husband was saying. Was he questioning their son? She put the tea cup down, and clapped her hands for the maid to take the dishes away. She didn't want to speak with her husband anymore. Victor didn't say anything while the maid gathered up the cups. What has gotten into him lately?

"Ma,am?" the maid tentatively asked.

"What?" Olivia wasn't in the mood to talk to her staff. She had a lot more on her mind to deal with. The servants just needed to stick to their jobs.

"There are quite a few people outside the gates. They look like reporters," she said.

"Reporters? What do they want?" Olivia stood up, and looked out the window. It was impossible to see the gates from any window of the house, but she would be able to look out one of the front balconies to see the reporters. Why in the world were they here? How did they find out she lived?

"Remember those tapes ma'am? One of the television stations has one of those tapes."

"The tapes?" Olivia remembered James mentioning them, but she wasn't really paying attention. She figured that those tapes wouldn't hold up in a real court. It was probably all staged.

"Have you seen what was on the tape?" Victor asked Lillian.

"I saw bits and pieces of it, sir. Your son wasn't on the part they showed on the television, but they claim to have more of the tape online."

"Well, if Harold isn't on the tape, there's no problem. Right?" Olivia crossed the room, and looked back at her husband. He didn't seem the least bit concerned. She hated him sometimes, but she would think about that later. "How many people are outside?"

"At least twenty, ma'am. They are shouting at the gardener. They want to speak to you."

She was just on the news. Why would they want to speak with her? Her son wasn't even on that tape. She wasn't going to speak with any of them. It was terribly rude that they would even suggest that she would talk to them. She didn't invite them to her home.

"What are they saying?"

"I don't know for sure. It's all about Harold though."

"Lillian, you go out there and tell them all to go away. They have no right to be here, and if any of them even think of hopping the gate, they will be arrested for trespassing. Got it?" Olivia sounded very firm. She had to be with her servants or they wouldn't listen.

"Yes ma'am." Lillian curtsied, and hurried away.

"They think Harold is guilty, and that we are the reason he turned out this way," Victor said as soon as the maid left. "I think we should turn on the news."

"Why? So we can see everyone badmouth our son?"

"No, Olivia. Don't you want to see what they are saying about us? We need to know what is going on. The lawyer won't tell us that."

Olivia knew that he was right. He was usually right. She wouldn't be able to defend her son if she didn't know what was being said about him or about her. She was becoming increasingly concerned about what the neighbors would think. She often held parties, but what would happen if her child was being called a serial killer? They would never want to come over again, and her reputation would be ruined.

"Alright. Hopefully, Lillian will be able to get most of those reporters away. We should probably also move the gardener to the back of the house. I know that there are weeds around the trees over there, and he'll be able to concentrate more. Do you want to watch the news in the media room?" Olivia loved the large television she just bought for that room, but then there was always the mini theatre downstairs with the comfy red seats and popcorn maker.

"We should watch it in the library. The TV is smaller, and we won't have as many distractions. This isn't a game."

"I know!" Olivia snapped at him. She hated it when he tried talking down to her. If something was wrong with their son, he got it from Victor's side of the family. "Let's go then." Olivia didn't wait for her husband to finally get up from his chair. It was a short walk to the library from the sun room, but she didn't want to walk with him. She wanted to spend as less time with him as possible.

* * *

James pulled up to the station, and we relieved to see that it was under better control. More officers were put outside to control the crowds, and it was easier to get inside. The case was attracting nationwide attention, and he would have loved to be a part of this case. It was cases like this that made lawyer's careers, but that would only help him if he could win.

"Two forms of ID sir," a cop told him when he reached the front doors. Security was a lot tighter. He wondered what happened.

"Of course," James said. He pulled out two cards, and handed them to the officer. "I'm the lawyer working Harold's case." The officer studied him, and gave him back his IDs.

"Come in," the officer said. James walked in, and looked back at the cop who was back to monitoring the crowds. James put his cards back in his wallet, and went to the front desk.

"Why the extra security?" he asked the woman sitting at the desk.

"Oh, hello Mr. McCartney. One of the agents called earlier, and he thinks that people have been sneaking in here to see Harold. He's coming here later to see if he can catch who it is."

"Oh," James said. He wasn't surprised about idiots sneaking in to see Harold. He predicted in about a decade, there would even be movies featuring a monster named Harold. As sad as it was, the public craved for horrible stories about psychopaths who hunted in the night. There were still books being published about the person who killed JonBenet Rasmey, and Ted Bundy had become a household name while stories like a firefighter risking his life to save children tended to go unnoticed.

"I'll have someone walk you to Harold's cell," the woman said. James smiled at her, and walked with another officer down to where Harold was. Harold was sitting on the bed in his cell staring at the wall. It was a rather eerie sight, but James wasn't afraid of him. Harold was locked up, and he would be like that for the rest of his life. He wasn't going to be a threat to society anymore. James was curious though about what would happen if Harold was ever released. Would he go after those two agents again because they lived? The likelihood of either one of them surviving a second abduction with this guy were slim. Would the woman also be in danger? Would James?

"Good afternoon Harold," James said with a smile. "How are you feeling today?"

"How are you feeling Mr. McCartney?" Harold asked without looking away from the wall.

"Very well. Mind if I come in?"

"Be my guest."

The guard unlocked the gate while James walked inside. James hated hearing the gate lock behind him, but the guard never left the post. Harold finally looked up at him when he stood over the bed.

"Can I sit next to you?"

Harold smiled, and scooted over so James could sit down. The bed was hard, and the sheets didn't look clean. It would be horrible to sleep there.

"You have green eyes," Harold said.

James looked down at his files, and was becoming increasingly uncomfortable knowing that a psychopath was looking in his eyes.

"Yes, yes I do." James said. "Now that we got that past us, we have some stuff to talk about." There really wasn't that much to talk about, but he wanted Harold to stop staring at him.

"My mother has green eyes."

"That's great. That's really great…" Did Harold like his mother? James didn't think so. Damn. "I need to talk to you about the case. I'm sorry, but I'm going to need to drop it."

"Is there a reason?"

"I only take on cases that I could win. I just saw part of one of those tapes from your house. There would be no way I could argue against that."

"Was Agent Reid on it?"

James really wanted Harold to stop being creepy, just for a minute. James couldn't even finish what was on that tape. He never watched somebody being raped before. He saw it in the movies, and he worked with rape victims a lot, but he never had to watch it. It was more brutal and horrifying than he could have ever imagined.

"Why did you do it?" James asked. He wasn't going to tell the sicko who he watched on the tape.

"Do what?" Harold asked slowly. James scooted the other way just so he could have more space between him and Harold. Harold's eyes never looked away from James like most people do during a conversation. James wanted out of there right then, but he knew the guard was still by the gate. He was safe.

"Why did you hurt all those people?"

Harold leaned forward, and smiled with a closed mouth. James held his breath, and prepared his feet to stand up. He wanted out of there.

"Why must you ask questions that you know you will never get an answer for? If I told you everything that was running through my mind while I entertained my guests, would that satisfy you? Would you never think about it again? I do not think so, my friend. I don't think any answer I gave you would make you stop wondering so why do you ask?"

James stayed quiet. Harold knew what he was talking about. Nothing he said would ever make people stop asking questions. Nothing he said would ever bring those people back.

"I've got to go," James said lamely. "Good luck Mr. Caldwell."

Harold kept that creepy smile while James got up. James felt the black eyes on him while he hurried out of the cell. He turned around before he left with the guard. He wanted to see the face of the devil one last time.

"Good luck to you James. I do hope to see you again, my friend. Be sure to wash your hair. It is looking greasy, and you have no excuse not to bathe. You will certainly have no friends if there is a strong odor coming from your body. Keep that in mind."

"Goodbye Harold," James said firmly.

"Oh, and if you do see the young agent, tell him that he is on my mind. He is always on my mind." Harold licked his top lip, and finally blinked his eyes.

* * *

Susan could barely keep her hands off her son. She was so happy to see him again. He was visiting her during her stay, but this was the first time that she was left alone with Andy. He was more interested in the machines around the bed instead of his mom, but she was just so thrilled that he wasn't hurt. She kept imagining all the things that Harold was doing to him while she was locked up, but the butler was right. Harold did give her baby waffles, and he was playing in a large toy room for most of the time. He kept asking when they would visit Harold again. She really didn't know what to tell him. She told her son that he went on a vacation. It would only be a few years before Andy actually found out what really happened. Kids talk at school, and Andy was staying with a serial killer. She didn't want him to ever know what happened.

"What's this one for mommy?" Andy asked pulling out one of the tubes.

"No, no, no. Don't touch that!" Susan cried out before Andy could press any buttons. She never thought she would miss him trying to destroy everything around him, but she missed it so much. She was only away from him for a few hours, but it felt like a lifetime.

"I was only looking!"

Susan smiled, and hugged Andy again. She loved him so much.

"Mom, stop it!" Andy complained. Susan laughed when someone knocked on her door. She released Andy from the hug and sat on the bed. "Come in!" she called.

She was surprised when she saw one of the agents walk in. She was expecting another doctor. She was supposed to get released the next day. Her cut was healing quickly.

"How are you doing today?" Agent Rossi asked.

"Oh, I am doing great. So is Andy," Susan said motioning towards her son. Andy smiled ear to ear and waved at the agent.

"Hi Andy! It's nice to meet you," Agent Rossi said smiling back. "I was wondering if you would like to talk to Agents Prentiss and Reid. He is awake now, and he said he would love to see you again."

Susan wanted to see him again too. The last time she saw the agent, he was lying in a fetal position after Harold raped him. She had never seen so much blood before. It made her sick to her stomach just thinking about it. She knew that she would probably never see him again, and she needed one of her last memories of him to be a good one.

"Of course!" Susan said getting off the bed.

"Andy can wait outside with me if he wants to see what a real badge looks like," Agent Rossi said looking at her son. "It will give you some time alone to see Agent Reid. Andy can meet him when you are ready."

Susan smiled gratefully. She really couldn't wait to see Agent Reid again, and she wanted to thank Agent Prentiss for helping her. She never properly thanked the woman who helped save her life. Susan followed behind the agent while Andy walked by his side. He kept asking Agent Rossi questions, and Susan was surprised how easily the agent talked to him. He didn't seem annoyed at all by the boy's questions. In fact, he seemed to enjoy them. The agent stopped outside a room, and Susan recognized another one of the agents from the raid. He was tall with black hair and pale skin. She didn't see Agent Prentiss anywhere.

"Agent Reid is in there," Agent Rossi said. "Please don't bring up anything that could upset him. He still isn't in the best condition, and this is the first time he has been really awake since he got here."

"Of course," Susan said. She wasn't sure what she could say to the young agent without bringing up hurtful memories, but she would try. She kissed Andy on the cheek, but she knew the agents wouldn't let anything happen to him. "Be good Andy."

She walked into the room, and the first thing she noticed was a mini museum of stuffed animals. She knew immediately that Andy would want one. She would have to talk to him before he came inside. The skinny agent was lying on his side on the bed. He looked so different than when she last saw him. She didn't think she would have recognized him on the street, but her last glance at him wasn't the best one. He was naked with blood dripping out of his back which was something that Susan couldn't forget fast enough. She did remember Agent Reid's light brown hair and his big brown eyes. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hello, Agent Reid," Susan said. She sat down on a chair near the bed, and she felt stupid for not bringing a card.

"Hi Susan," he replied.

"You're looking a lot better," Susan said. She tried not to stare at all of the bandages covering a lot of his body. Susan silently vowed to help keep the reporters away from him when he got out of there. "I just wanted to thank you for what you did. If it wasn't for you, I might not have seen my son again."

"Me?"

"You tried to keep Harold away from me, to keep me safe, and that is probably why I am here today. He might have killed me if you didn't speak up. You risked your life to save me," Susan said. She remembered Reid calling attention to himself whenever Harold got too close to Susan, and he assured her that she would see her son again. He was right. "Thank you for saving my life."

The young agent coughed into a tissue near his bed, but he smiled at her.

"Thank you," he said. "Was your son alright?"

"He's doing just fine. He's right outside if you wanted to see him," Susan said. She knew that Andy would be asking all kinds of questions once he saw the man in the bed was covered in bandages. What made it worse was that some of the bandages had small red stains on them. "You're his new hero. He knows you helped his mommy."

"Really?"

"He wants to be like when he grows up," Susan said. The agent laughed, and Susan saw him stretch the fingers in one of his hands.

"Thank you," he said. Susan wanted to hug him tightly, and promise him that everything would get better. She didn't know him, but she was one of the few that knew exactly what he went through. They had a bond just because they were there together. She reached out, and held his hand in both of hers. He looked surprised, but he didn't move away. She was surprised that he didn't cry out or gasp. She read about rape victims who were afraid of touch after the assault, but he wasn't. He wasn't afraid of her.

* * *

Rossi heard Reid talking to Susan through the open door. He peaked in to see what they were doing, and he saw Susan reach out for Reid's hand. He was expecting Reid to pull back, but nothing happened.

"She's holding his hand," Rossi told Hotch. "I wish she lived in Virginia. She would really be able to help him."

Hotch was about to say something when Prentiss came back from the bathroom. Rossi and Hotch didn't tell her about Susan. They wanted it to be a surprise for her too. It wasn't very often when somebody they rescued actually got to meet them. Prentiss looked confused when she saw everybody standing outside.

"What's going on?"

"Reid has a visitor," Rossi said. "I think it's somebody that you might want to meet too." Rossi smiled, and opened the door wider so Prentiss could go in. Prentiss gave both him and Hotch puzzled look as she walked inside.

_yay for chapter 47! it was super fun to write, and remember more reviews = less time between chapters. just remember 2 tell me guys what u want 2 see happen. im not goin to have harold jump off a mountain or have anne set the jail on fire, but if its reasonable, ill consider it. i think i do want more stuff with the tapes though. review review review! pweez!1 pretty pweez!_


	48. Chapter 48

Prentiss didn't know who she was expecting to see when she went into Reid's room, but she stopped when she saw the woman sitting by the bed. The woman turned around, and stood up when she recognized Prentiss.

"Agent Prentiss? Is that you?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Prentiss said. She faintly recognized the younger woman. She saw the bandage across the woman's face, and glanced at the bandages around the woman's wrists. This was the woman she saved when they found Reid.

"Hi. My name is Susan. We haven't officially met, but thank you." The woman walked up, and hugged Prentiss. Prentiss returned the hug, and heard the woman sniffle against her shoulder. "Thank you so much." Susan released Prentiss from the hug, and Prentiss saw tears in her big eyes. "Thank both of you."

"Call me Emily," Prentiss said.

"How could I ever repay you? I owe you my life," Susan said. Prentiss smiled, but she knew what awaited Susan when she left the hospital. She would be bombarded by all of the photographers with lies in their minds. She wondered if Susan even knew what was outside. She was probably watching the news. Morgan and Reid had been protected by that.

"Can I meet Andy?" Reid asked. Prentiss looked at Reid, and saw his eyes were smiling. They weren't vacant like they were when he was found. Reid was coming back to them.

"Yeah, of course," Susan said. She wiped her eyes dry, and laughed nervously. "Let me bring him in. Give me a second."

Prentiss sat down in the chair next to Reid when Susan left, and she put her hand on top of Reid's hand. His hand was warm, but she knew he didn't a fever. He was just getting better.

"I think I like her," Prentiss said. "Welcome back Reid."

Before Reid could answer, a little boy ran right up to them. He looked a lot like Susan with his big eyes and light hair. Prentiss predicated he would very handsome when he grew up.

"Hi! My name is Andy. Mommy said I'm not supposed to ask about your boo-boos. What's your favorite toy? I got a brand new racing car, and it goes really fast, but when I grow up, I wanna be like you guys. Do you have real guns? Do you kill bad people?"

Susan ran up to him when she came back in the room.

"Calm down sweetie," she said smoothing out his hair. "What is he saying?"

"Do you really want to be like us?" Prentiss asked the little boy. "It's a really scary job. We have to stay up late every single night."

"That is so cool! I want to stay up late every night, and arrest bad guys. I'm really brave too. I promise. I'm not scared of anything!"

"You're not?" Reid asked.

"Nope. Nothing. You guys found my mommy when she was really hurt. Weren't you scared something bad would happen?"

"We had to find your mommy. We thought about calling you, but we knew you were busy," Prentiss said. "You were the first person she asked about."

"Really?" Andy asked. "You guys should have called me! I know what to do, but mommy isn't very brave. One time, when I came to visit, she was having a really bad dream. Are you Reid?"

"Yes," Reid said slowly.

"She said your name lots, but I didn't get to stay. Were you with her?"

"He made sure nothing happened to me," Susan said. "He was with me the whole time." Prentiss noticed more tears forming in Susan's eyes. Prentiss wondered what exactly Susan had seen. Did she watch Reid get raped? Susan was found fully clothed so Prentiss doubted she was raped, but that just meant Harold was still more interested in Reid.

* * *

_Morgan's head was killing him, but he tried to keep his eyes open. He just wished his heart would stop pounding in his chest. He couldn't get it under control, and he felt the sweat dripping down his forehead. They were never going to get rescued from this monster. Their survival rates dropped after the first 24 hours with Harold, and Morgan was positive that they spent months in that room. Markus didn't leave them with enough water in their systems. Morgan was already preparing himself mentally for Reid's death. The kid wasn't doing well. It wasn't a matter if Harold would kill them anymore. That was a given. The only question left was when, and that wasn't much longer for Reid. The kid could barely keep his head up._

"_Talk to me Reid," Morgan called to him. It was his job to keep Reid conscious. He watched Reid bring his bony legs back up to his chest, and Morgan kept his eyes off of the chains around the kid's ankles. Morgan could feel the spikes digging into his own ankles with every little movement and his chest was still bleeding from the beating. It stung like hell, but Morgan was able to handle it. _

"_I'm so tired," Reid whispered._

"_Keep talking. How many books did you read last week?" Morgan bit his lip to keep from gasping when he accidently moved his stomach too fast. A burning sensation traveled up his insides and left him barely able to keep his mouth shut._

"_I don't know," Reid replied. _

"_That's no answer," Morgan teased. "I'm telling Garcia. What do you think she would say?" Morgan waited for acknowledgement that Reid heard him, but Reid didn't even move. "How many stuffed animals do you think she bought us?"_

"_She probably got you more," Reid joked. It felt good to hear Reid crack a joke, but Morgan's heart broke when Reid started coughing. _

"_We're in this together Reid. Remember that. I'm not goin anywhere."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_I just know, but we're not goin die here. It won't be much longer before Hotch finds us. I'm goin help him beat up Harold," Morgan said smiling. _

"_Who will you be beating up Mr. Morgan?" Harold asked. Morgan turned around, and turned pale when he saw Harold standing right by him. He didn't even hear the monster come in. How long had he been standing there? Morgan looked at Reid who was already scooting closer to the wall. He looked terrified. He couldn't keep fighting Harold. He was too weak. This would be what killed Morgan's dear friend. He already lost too much blood. Another rape would kill him._

"_Get me out of these chains and let me show you," Morgan dared. He pulled against the chains, and didn't wince when the chains cut his flesh. He wanted to show Harold that he wasn't afraid._

"_Aw, Morgan, the only time you will be released is when you are no longer with us," Harold said while a taunting smile on his face. "That shouldn't be too much longer."_

"_You think so you ass?" Morgan saw that Harold was already unzipping his pants and removing his shoes. Reid hadn't said anything up to this point and Morgan knew that he was barely awake. Morgan had to protect him. "What are you doing? Huh? Answer me!"_

"_What does it look like I'm doing?" Harold lowered down his pants, and took the liberty of folding them neatly before putting them under the table. _

"_Look, Harold, if you want to do that, do it to me," Morgan offered. He couldn't believe what he was doing, but he had to help Reid. Reid was more like a little brother to him than a co-worker, and he wasn't going to let his brother die._

"_What did you say Mr. Derek Morgan?"_

"_Rape me…Look man, I won't even fight you. I don't think I could if I wanted to at this point. Just leave Reid alone. You're killing him."_

_Morgan looked up again, and Reid was already on the table. Morgan would have been questioning how Reid suddenly got over there, but he felt the blood boiling in his veins. Reid was on his stomach, and trying to crawl away. The tears on his back were opened up, and Morgan could see the kid's hands shaking. _

"_Are you telling me that you do not want to watch?" Harold asked. His clothes were already all folded underneath the table, and he was handling Reid like he was a puppy. He just pulled the young agent back whenever he got close enough to falling off the table. _

"_Get off him now!" Morgan shouted. He pulled as hard as he could against the spiked chains on his wrists. He couldn't even feel the pain anymore._

"_On your knees doctor," Harold said. _

"_Leave me alone," Reid replied. Reid tried to throw himself off the table, but Harold dug his nails into one of Reid's scratches. Reid screamed._

"_Come now, on your knees. Why must you make everything so difficult?"_

"_Leave me alone!" Reid cried out. Harold took his nails out of the bloody wound, but quickly forced them back in deeper. _

"_I don't have all day doctor. Get on your knees."_

"_Take me you son of a bitch!" Morgan yelled out, but Harold didn't even glance his way. Reid slowly got on his knees, but cried out when Harold forced his head back on the table. Morgan had his eyes shut when Harold shoved his length into Reid's frail body. Reid had his mouth open, but he didn't scream. Morgan couldn't take anymore. He formed his hands into fists, and used the last of his strength to get off that wall. He was in shock when he felt himself falling on the ground. He looked back, and saw his hands lying on the ground in a bloody mess. He looked at his wrists, but he didn't make a sound when he saw he chopped his own hands off. He would deal with that later. He needed to save Reid. _

* * *

"Honey? Honey, wake up!"

Morgan's eyes shot open, and he held his breath while he studied his surroundings. The first thing he saw was his mother's concerned eyes. He sat up and looked at his wrists, and was relieved to see his hands still connected. It was all a dream. He laid back on his pillow, but he felt his chest to make sure it was still bandaged up. The cuts from the whip still hurt to the touch, but they were healing.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"I want to go see Reid," Morgan said without thinking. He didn't want to hurt his mother's feelings, but he needed to make sure Reid was really alright. He was sleeping all the time, and Morgan barely had seen him since they arrived.

"Alright sweetie," she said kissing one of his hands. "I'll go see if I can get you a wheelchair."

"Mom," Morgan called out when she was in the doorway. "Thank you."

She smiled at him, and went to find a nurse. Morgan rolled his neck, and looked down at his painted nails. That dream felt so real. He kept expecting to see Harold pop out from behind a corner at any second. He never remembered any good dreams. It was only the nightmares that stuck in his head. He pushed himself off the bed and stretched out his legs.

"Agent Morgan?" a nurse asked. Morgan saw an older woman standing in the doorway. "You want to visit Agent Reid?"

"Yeah," Morgan said.

"Do you want to try walking? The doctor wants you to start getting on your legs. Do you think you are ready or would you prefer a chair?"

Morgan couldn't believe his luck. He hopped on his feet for the first time in what seemed like forever. He stumbled, but he got himself situated before the nurse could come over. He felt his mom's eye on him as he took his first step. His legs felt tired, but they were in good shape. After a few steps, it felt like old times. His muscles were eager to keep moving. His next request would be to get out of that damned hospital gown, but he needed to deal with one thing at a time.

"What is his room number again?" Morgan asked.

"He's right down the hallway," the nurse said pointing. "A few of your team members are right outside his room, but he's awake. The doctor wants to change his bandages soon, but I'll keep him busy for a while so you guys can talk."

Morgan thanked her, and took one step at a time walking down the hall. It still felt strange to not be in a wheelchair, but he wasn't going to complain. His mother stayed behind with the nurse. He almost tripped when he was a few steps away, and that was when Rossi saw him.

"Morgan?" Rossi asked. "You're out of bed?"

"One of the nurses said it would be alright to let me walk," Morgan explained. "I didn't sneak out of the room believe it or not."

"I would believe it if Garcia was somewhere near," Hotch commented.

"Where is she?" Morgan asked. He didn't see any of the girls.

"Garcia and J.J. are sleeping at the hotel. Prentiss is with Reid right now," Hotch said. "They were exhausted, but they should be back pretty soon."

"Do you think it would be okay if I saw Reid?" Morgan asked. He didn't know if Prentiss was having some personal moment with Reid or not. He knew the entire team wanted to know how the genius was doing. He was missing for so long.

"Susan is in there too," Rossi said. "She was the woman they found with Reid. Go ahead inside. You'll surprise Prentiss too, and Reid needs to see you."

He knocked the door lightly so they wouldn't be surprised when he strolled in, and he gave them a moment to finish their conversation when he opened the door. It was quiet when he shut the door, but he thought they were all expecting a doctor. Prentiss was the first one to see him, and she got off her chair to hug him.

"Oh my God, Morgan! You're walking now?" she asked as she hugged him.

"These are my first steps, but I'm planning on running back to Virginia today," Morgan joked. "I need to get myself back in shape again."

"I know. Look how fat you're getting!" Prentiss exclaimed.

"Watch it girl," Morgan warned. He smiled at her, and it finally felt like he was home again. It didn't matter where he was as long as his family was with him.

"Andy, do you want to a super cool FBI agent trick?" Prentiss asked the kid, but her eyes never left Morgan's.

"A real trick? Teach me! Teach me!" the little boy shouted.

"Thank you," Morgan whispered her ear. She smiled at Morgan, and waved her arm for Andy to follow. Prentiss walked out with the little boy on her tail.

"Nice to meet you agent," Susan stopped and told him. Morgan didn't think she would talk to him, but she smiled. "Glad to see you are doing much better." Morgan smiled at her, but her eyes were looking out in the hallway. "Andy, don't you dare touch that gun! I gotta go." Susan squeezed one of his hands, and ran out to her son. Morgan smiled to himself at the thought of the little boy stealing Hotch's gun and running. When he looked back up, he saw Reid.

"Hey Morgan," Reid said. Morgan felt like crying. He really couldn't believe Reid was still alive. Morgan had never been more scared in his life. Human life was so fragile, and it would only take a split second for Harold to kill either one of them, but they were still alive. They made it. They won. Morgan sat down where Prentiss was sitting before, and tried not to cry.

"How are you doing kid?"

"Well, my nails aren't pink," Reid said. Morgan needed to get nail polish remover. He kept forgetting what his nails looked like, but he was happy to see Reid smiling again.

"Don't even start with that. Your room reminds me of where Pee-wee Herman would live. Got enough toys? I think the one by the TV is staring at me," Morgan laughed. "You owe me ten bucks by the way."

"Why?"

"Cuz we made it. I told you we would." Morgan looked closer at Reid, and was finally able to take in the extensive damage done to his young friend. Their wrists looked identical, but Morgan studied the cast covering up one of Reid's arms and he could just spot some of the bandages on Reid's back. Why hadn't Harold hurt him like that? Why was Reid the only one who had to suffer through the cat's claw? Reid's eyes looked sorrowful. It was true that time could heal most things, but could time erase the memories that Harold scarred them with?

* * *

Harold refused to touch any of the food or water the guards kept giving him. He wanted real food, and he believed that anything that came from this place couldn't be considered edible. He knew that he was creating quite a commotion, but that wasn't his fault. He wondered what the young doctor was up to. It was still early so he was probably having a real breakfast. When would Reid finally visit him? He was sick of waiting. He was sick of having to deal with all of those other agents, and he was sick of listening to the mindless chatter of the other inmates.

"Caldwell, you need to eat," another chubby guard commanded. Why in the world would Harold even consider obeying orders from someone like that? The man couldn't even control his own weight. He had no business trying to control others.

"I am sorry sir, but it seems you beat me to it."

The guard looked flushed, but Harold was bored with watching him. He turned away to face the wall again. The wall had more range of emotions than the fat guard. There was only one hospital in this small town. If Harold was able to control his hunger pains, he could end up in the hospital near his dear friend. He was sure that Reid wanted to see him again too. He just wished the darker agent had died. Markus never told him that the man was still breathing when he was dropped off. Harold knew he should have gone with the beheading. Only one of his guests left his manor without their head, and it was a messy job. Harold preferred not to do it again, but he didn't know Agent Morgan was still alive when he was found. If Harold ever encountered that rude man again, he would chop off his head. Agent Morgan deserved no less.

He wondered how difficult it would be to get a lock of Agent's Reid pretty hair. He remembered how sensational is smelled, and it felt like silk in his hands. He wanted to touch it again. The silly teenagers who visited it might be able to get some hair, but he wouldn't mention the beheading to them. They would never be able to pull that off. He actually didn't think they would be able to get anywhere near any of the agents. They traveled almost like a pack of wild animals with their most vulnerable being kept safely in the middle of the circle.

"You think I care whether you eat or not? I just don't think the FBI will be too pleased to find out your starving yourself."

Harold had forgotten the guard was still there. He slowly turned to face him, and he smiled. He needed to remember his manners. This waste of a human body was only doing his job. He needed the extra money to buy the extra doughnuts at the gas stations.

"Are you offering me a chance to see the agents again? Oh yes, please, bring them in. I shall wait right here. I would love to see them again."

Harold still remembered all of their names, and he connected the names to the faces he saw that day when they rudely came in his home. Agent Hotchner was the big boss, the alpha male, and Harold didn't think that Hotch liked him. Agent Rossi and Agent Jareau were the two that came to his party. Agent Rossi was the oldest, and Agent Jareau startled easily. He still could see her frightened face when he found her snooping in his library. Harold never met Agent Prentiss personally but she was there when he was arrested, and she was there when Harold talked with Agent Hotchner. He did want to meet her. Harold wanted to meet all of the people that his young guest loved. Harold also remembered Agent Morgan talking about someone else named Garcia. He didn't know if Garcia was an agent or not, but Reid spoke fondly of her.

"I think they could live the rest of their lives without seeing you again Mr. Caldwell," fatty said.

"I don't think you have the authority to make that assumption officer. Please, give them a call and inform them of my horrendous behavior. I am positive that they will make a visit." Harold smiled politely at the officer when he finally walked away. He felt new energy start to course through his veins. He was excited to see the agents again. He would have to remember to ask how Agent Reid was fairing, and if it was cooling down any outside. He hated hot weather. He smoothed out his bed hair, and ran his tongue over his lips. He was sure that his breath stunk. They didn't supply him with any mouth wash. He would have to ask before the agents stopped by. Having visitors with a stinky mouth just wouldn't do.

* * *

Nikki followed behind Jude and Tony, trying not to stare at anything in particular. Their entire group had been circling around the hospital for most of the morning, but the agents were staying put. The two blondes never left the hotel, and even the reporters were looking bored sitting in front of the hospital. Did something bad happen inside? Nikki hoped that the agents were alright in there. She didn't want any of them to die.

"You might have to go in there Nikki," Jude said. They stopped walking, and stood underneath a large tree that offered them shade from the hot sun.

"Wait, what?" Nikki looked at Tony, and then back at Jude.

"We need someone to bring Agent Prentiss out of the hospital. We can wait until later. I'd rather not attack until the sun is down, but she could stay in there all week for all I know. She needs to get out here."

Nikki loved that plan. She would be able to go inside, and warn all of the agents about what was happening. Their group was large, but Nikki was sure that the FBI would be able to handle it.

"I'll have Ashley go with you," Jude continued. He walked up to Nikki, and she had to look away when he got in her bubble space. She hated people being that close to her. She could see the small dagger safe in his jeans, and she held her breath out of instinct. "We can't have Nikki walking in their alone with her FBI friends. Things wouldn't go too well for us. Would they, Nikki?"

"No, Jude," Nikki said.

"Good. Tony, text Ashley and tell her the plan. We send the girls inside, and what should we have them say?" Jude asked.

"Maybe they tell Agent Prentiss that know the location of another victim?" Tony suggested.

"No, that's too easy. We can't have them say something that might call for more agents. We need Agent Prentiss by herself. Tell her that you need to show her something important, and that it's right outside the hospital. Ashley can stop her from telling anyone else on the team. Lead her to the park behind the building. The rest of us will be waiting there for her."

Nikki was relieved that she sent that note to the agents. She was just becoming increasingly concerned that they didn't get the note. None of them seemed to be acting differently, and she didn't see the arrival of any new agents which would suggest added security. If they didn't get her note, Agent Prentiss would follow Nikki outside without any idea of what would happen. If she wasn't prepared, Nikki was afraid that something terrible would happen to the agent. Nikki didn't think that Jude would plan as much as he did. He was already creating scenarios for the group to work through if Prentiss did reach her gun before she was attacked. Nikki was scared.

* * *

William Reid was released from the hospital yesterday, but that didn't meant that he would just leave the state. He came to make sure that his son was alright, and that's what he was going to do. He didn't want to confuse his son by suddenly appearing right after some horrific incident, but he did want to make sure Spencer was going to make it through this. He knew that he wasn't the best father, and that Spencer would never really forgive him for disappearing like that, but that didn't mean that he didn't care. William really would give his life for his son. He just wanted Spencer to know that.

He sat outside the hospital after grabbing a quick breakfast, and was trying to think of what to tell the agents when they came out. He didn't want to fight the crowd to get back in the hospital. He didn't even know if Spencer was awake yet. He stood up to stretch his legs when he noticed three teenagers standing underneath a tree nearby. They wouldn't have grabbed his attention if it wasn't for how scared the girl looked. One of the boys was standing right in front of her, and he saw that she was avoiding eye contact. William normally didn't interfere with other people's problems, but he wanted to make sure the girl wasn't in any kind of danger. He brushed the dirt from the park bench off his pants, and made his way over to the kids. The girl was the first one to notice him, and both of the boys backed away from her when they saw William.

"How's it going over here guys?" William casually asked. He looked at the first boy who was leaning against the tree. He didn't even look at William. The second young man was much taller, and he looked older than the others. He was the only one that really looked dangerous to William. He wasn't scared of William. This young man looked at William eye to eye. The young girl didn't look any more relaxed that an adult stopped by. She kept her eyes on the ground.

"Nothing much sir," the second boy answered. "How about you?"

"Just enjoying the heat," William kidded. "So were you guys playing some kind of new game over here or what?"

"What did it look like?" the second boy asked. He walked closer to the girl, and smiled at William. The girl didn't move at all.

"What's your name sweetie?" William asked the girl. Her messy hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and the jeans she was wearing needed a serious wash.

"Cassandra," the girl answered much too quickly. William knew that was a lie. Why was she lying to him? He wasn't a cop or anything. Maybe they thought he was an undercover cop.

"My name is William Reid," he told them. "Are you visiting someone in the hospital?"

"Why sir? Does it bother you?" the second boy asked.

"You're not from here," the first boy suddenly said.

"Does that bother you?" William asked as a comeback. He saw the second boy smile at this comment, but the girl didn't make any reaction. William was becoming very concerned with her. Why in the world were these boys treating Cassandra like this, and why were they doing it outside of the hospital? Something was up.

William was thinking of something else clever to say when the first boy's phone buzzed in his hand. He read the text to himself, and coughed which was probably some signal to the others.

"That would be his mom texting," the second boy said. "It was nice meeting you sir, but we gotta go. Have fun standing here in the heat."

He pushed the girl in front of him, and they left without another word. William watched them leave, but they didn't say anything to each other. Their silence only worried William more. He wasn't an FBI agent or anything, but he was used to working with liars. He needed to tell Spencer's team members. They would be able to deal with these kids more than he could. They weren't visiting anyone in the hospital, and the only people of real importance in the hospital were the wounded agents. Agent Hotchner needed to know.

* * *

Hotch couldn't help but smile when Andy tried to steal Rossi's gun. The little boy reminded him a lot of Jack. Hotch needed to call home. Rossi was laughing with the little boy. This was just what the team needed to keep them sane. Even Susan seemed to be enjoying herself, and Prentiss was having a great time laughing at Rossi.

"Why won't you let me hold the gun? Harold would," Andy complained. Everybody stopped laughing at the mention of his name. The little boy didn't understand why everybody got suddenly quiet when he said that name, but he knew that it was time to behave. Andy would be interviewed soon enough by the authorities so they would know what Andy went through, but this wasn't the time or place.

"Andy, it's time for us to go. Grandma is probably waiting for us," Susan said.

"Do you think she brought more cookies?" Andy asked.

"Of course she did," Susan said. "It was nice meeting all of you."

"Same to you," Rossi told her. She surprised Hotch by hugging him and Rossi. He wasn't expecting anything from her. He barely saw her that horrible night. Susan turned around, and whispered something in Prentiss' ear before hugging her as well. She smiled at all of them one last time, and took Andy in her hand and left.

"Prentiss, do you want to find out which tape the news put online?" Hotch asked. He didn't want her going with them to the station. He really didn't want her leaving the hospital at all until he found out more about who left that note. He knew that Prentiss was able to handle herself, but he didn't need to take any more risks. He was still waiting for a phone call from Strauss, and he was anticipating that phone call to come any time now.

"Sure Hotch, you're both going to the station then?"

"I didn't think it would best idea to leave Hotch alone," Rossi explained. "You know how he gets when he's by himself."

"With Reid being awake now, how am I supposed to keep them from watching the news? J.J. couldn't get every station to stop showing those pictures, and whatever else is on that tape is going to be popular on TV. Reid is still sleepy, but Morgan is going to find out and he's not going to be very happy," Prentiss said. She looked back at the room, but Reid's door was still shut. She was right though. Morgan was going to want to know how the case was going, and with him being able to walk around on his own, it was going to be no time at all before he turned on the television.

"He knows about the pictures," Rossi said. "A few photographers got to him when he was still awake, but I don't think he knows that they got pictures of Reid too."

"He doesn't know about the tapes," Prentiss said. "He never mentioned them once, and Harold had the camera hidden away. They wouldn't have seen it unless they were looking."

"We're going to have to tell him," Hotch concluded. "I don't want him finding out about the tapes from television."

"What about Reid?" Prentiss asked after a moment of silence. Hotch knew that all of them were still protecting Reid. They didn't want to tell him that there were reporters waiting for him outside or that Harold was still calling for him. Hotch just knew that they weren't going to be able to baby him forever. Once he was able, he would be asking just as many questions as Morgan was.

"We're not going to tell him anything," Hotch said. "He's still not in the best condition, and I don't want him to think about anything else besides getting well."

Hotch saw Doctor Meyer talking to a nurse, and hand her a clipboard. He sighed, and guessed that it was time for Reid's bandages to be changed. They were probably going to want to move Reid so he wouldn't be stuck on one spot on the bed. Hotch knew that several of Reid's cuts would need to be re-stitched as well. The kid moved a lot in his nightmares, but Hotch knew he was in good hands. He couldn't have asked for a better doctor. Rossi moved closer to Hotch when the doctor came up to them.

"How is he doing in there?" Meyer asked.

"Agent Morgan wanted to see him," Rossi said.

"Ah good. It's good that they get to see each other. I'll give them a few more minutes, but I don't want to delay this any longer. I don't want to risk any infection. Are one of you going to sit in with him? I have a feeling he won't want to be alone."

"Agent Morgan will," Hotch said without thinking.

'Very good," Meyer said smiling. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

_poor Morgan and Reid. they are coming back into the story lol. i just had to wait until reid woke up, but he looks like he's doing ok. right? lol. i still love harold. he is so uber creepy. plz review! pweez! spider pig would =)_


	49. Chapter 49

_welcome once again, 2 my fun filled world of harolds and judes lol. um, this chapter goes A LOT into harold's past, probably more than most people ever wanted 2 know but i thought it was good just so every1 knows exactly what kind of past that harold came from. this chapter also has more to do with reid. its sad really, but tell me what u guys think. enjoy!_

Rossi knew that Hotch was afraid to leave the hospital. Prentiss could easily just walk out, and try to confront her attackers head on. Rossi didn't doubt that she could pull something like that, but the team needed to stick together. They didn't even know if the letter told the truth. It could be just a bunch of kids who wanted to scare someone. Prentiss didn't have much motive other than pride to go find out who wrote that letter. Nobody was in real danger.

"You're going to stay here while we are gone, right?" Rossi asked her. Garcia and J.J. would be waking up soon, and Prentiss looked like she needed a nap. It was rare to see dark circles under her eyes.

"Yeah, where else would I go?" Prentiss replied.

Hotch stepped in to say something when all of them heard his phone buzzing. He took a step back, and put the cell to his ear.

"Hotch. Yes, we were just going down there now…He's what? Are you sure? We're on our way." Hotch put the phone back in his pocket and rejoined their little circle. "Harold is refusing to eat. He said he wants to see the agents."

"What is that guy's problem?" Rossi asked.

"He's still asking for Reid too," Hotch added.

"He needs a muzzle," Prentiss mumbled. "I think I might like the news showing one of the videos. Maybe they will finally leave the hospital."

"Could you check to see which tape they got a hold of?" Hotch asked her.

"They said the entire video is posted online," Rossi added. "I really hope it's not of Morgan or Reid. I'm thinking if it was, they would have showed more of the tape than they did. The tape was right after they were abducted."

"I'll try to keep an eye on what the boys watch on television, but I doubt Morgan would turn on the news right now. He wouldn't want to upset Reid like that," Prentiss said.

"We should get going," Hotch said. Hotch headed toward the elevator as Rossi looked one more time at Reid's room.

"We'll keep you updated," he told Prentiss. "I have a feeling that we'll be seeing Harold's mother shortly." Prentiss smiled at him, and he hurried away to catch up with Hotch.

* * *

_Harold hated being called downstairs to meet with his parents. They were barely ever hom__e, and even when they were, they never bothered checking in with their sons. Harold was surprised to find out that his parents wanted him down for an ice cream dessert with them. They assumed that he already ate his dinner, and that he would be able to drop everything to see them. He was sure that this was his mother's idea. She liked to pretend that she was a wonderful parent, but Harold was positive that she couldn't even guess his age. Michael didn't look any happier. _

"_I kind of wish that she would forget ever having us," Michael commented. He smoothed the front of his shirt out, and bent down to tie his shoes. They had to look their absolute best when they ate with their parents. Nothing was allowed to be out of place._

"_She will never forget us," Harold said. _

"_We should try to leave early," Michael said standing up. He threw a pair of handcuffs on Harold's bed and smiled. "Look what I have."_

_Harold picked up the handcuffs, and almost dropped them because of their weight. Where in the world did Michael get these? He put them back on the bed, and focused on his own laces._

"_I want you to put them on me later. I found this really old wing of the house. You're not going to believe it. I don't think anyone has been in there for centuries. I was looking around, and one of the rooms is really big. That would be a perfect place for our little games," Michael said. He was smiling ear to ear. Harold could almost feel his excitement in the room._

"_Mother doesn't know about the room?"_

"_The room was almost disgusting. There are cobwebs everywhere. I don't think any servant even knows about the wing. We could make as much noise as we needed, and we wouldn't have to worry about some twit walking in on us. This will be great. I want to try it out tonight."_

_Harold wasn't too fond of sneaking into some abandoned room just so he could have fun with his brother. He hated spiders. He really hated all kinds of bugs, but spiders were the ones that he really detested. No living thing should have that many legs. Harold stood up to approve himself in the mirror when Michael snuck up behind him. Michael grabbed Harold's length from outside of his pants. Harold held his breath as Michael worked his magic fingers up on him. _

"_Don't make me beg Harold," Michael whispered._

"_Alright," Harold whispered back. "I don't even want any ice cream."_

"_I'll find some excuse," Michael said backing up. He released Harold, but that didn't make him feel any better. He couldn't wait to use the handcuffs on his older brother. Michael always wanted Harold to be the dominate one. Harold was always the one of top, but his older brother was teaching him all kinds of things that the tutors never taught him. Harold liked it._

"_Are you gentlemen ready?" an older servant asked poking his head in._

"_Just one moment Charles!" Michael called out. "Go ahead. I'll be right behind you," Michael told Harold. Harold glanced one last time in the mirror, and followed Charles to the closest elevator. Just as promised, Michael was right behind them. Harold hated staying away from his brother for too long._

"_When did Mother get in town?" Michael asked as the elevator headed down. Harold kept quiet. _

"_Several days ago sir," Charles said. "She is preparing for another party, and I heard she will be requiring both of you present at this one."_

"_Really? Why?" Michael asked._

"_Both of you are growing up into fine, young men. I'm sure it will not be long now before she starts inviting young ladies to her parties. She is already speaking with Mr. Jackman about one of his daughters. His eldest is a pretty girl named Christina, and she's just about your age Michael."_

"_Why should I be interested in her?" Michael pouted. Harold knew that the teenage years is when most boys became interested in the opposite sex, but something was different with Harold. He was still waiting for that overcoming urge to sweep through his body, but he knew in his heart that it would never come. Harold still had another year to go before he was officially a teenager, but girls bored him._

"_You are your mother's oldest son, and Christina has links to the royal family in England. She would be a perfect match for you," Charles said. "Just do not be surprised if you see her at the party."_

"_Aren't we passed the day of arranged marriages?" Michael asked sharply._

"_Nothing is arranged, young sir. Your parents just want you to meet. It is not my place to say anymore," Charles concluded._

"_You're right. It's not. I might have a word to Father about the phrases that crossed your lips this evening Charles." The elevator stopped, and Michael hurried off the machine. Harold followed after him. "I do believe that Harold and I are quite capable of walking the rest of the way on our own. Good evening Charles." The older servant bowed his head, but never left the elevator. Michael grabbed Harold's hand, and pulled him away as the elevator went back up. _

* * *

J.J. woke up with hair sticking to her forehead. Her heart was pounding, but she couldn't remember was she was dreaming about. Her eyes shot open from sheer terror, but released her breath when she saw the hotel's ceiling. She felt silly for having a nightmare, but she couldn't get the pictures from the Caldwell house out of her mind. She already knew that Hotch would have counseling for all of them once they got back, and J.J. was starting to think that she might need it. She sat up in the bed, and was slightly embarrassed to see that she never even got out of her towel. Garcia was probably the only reason that a blanket was over her. The clock on the nightstand told her she was only asleep for a few hours, but she wanted to get back to the hospital. There was so much more that she could be doing to help. She threw a fresh pair of clothes on, and brushed her hair so she would look halfway presentable. She wandered out to the kitchen area to find food. Her stomach was growling.

She quietly opened her door, and peaked around the small living room for Garcia. She spotted no signs of her friend, but she noticed the second bedroom had the door closed. J.J. wouldn't be able to go anywhere until Garcia woke up. She helped herself to some cereal that Garcia left out, but she headed back in her room. She knew how exhausted Garcia was. They all were. She turned the television down low in her room, and went to work on her laptop. She tried to ignore the background story that the media found on Harold, and she didn't bother to click on any of the stories told by Harold's "closest friends". People would say anything to get their 15 minutes of fame. She was going to get offline when she noticed a local news station claiming that they had actual footage of what went on in the Caldwell house.

J.J. made sure her door was completely shut before she clicked for the footage. She passed several statements warning her that the footage was graphic, and she felt her heart stop. It couldn't be of Morgan and Reid. It couldn't be. The web page took her to a drop down list where she could select which video to watch. Clayton Morrison was the first on the list followed by the young Samantha. Agents Morgan and Reid were the last one, and they had the most views. She held her breath as she clicked on the link. She recognized the black room that Markus pushed her two friends into. They were both unconscious, but she saw a black smudge from the street across Morgan's limp arm. She kept a hand over her mouth while she watched Markus struggle to get Morgan off the cart, and he tied her friend to the wall. Markus threw Morgan's shoes and socks back into the cart. Then Markus took Reid out of the cart, and tied him against the opposite wall. She had to look away when he took off Reid's mismatched socks, but the tape ended seconds later. The boys never woke up in the tape, and Harold was nowhere to be seen. She barely noticed Samantha's corpse lying underneath the table.

Feeling somewhat braver, she went back and clicked on Samantha's tape. Just like the first one, it showed Markus bringing the girl into the room. Markus tied the girl's wrists and ankles with the same deadly chains that her friends had to wear, but he left her free from the wall. He took off her shoes and socks, and locked the door behind him. The girl wasn't unconscious for very long. She woke up with a terrible cough and J.J.'s heart fell when she watched the teenager take in her surroundings. Her breathing sped up, and she struggled against the chains. The spikes tore into her wrists, but she didn't stop. In fact, she started moving faster. Whines were escaping from her throat, and tears wet her face. She was having a full out panic attack.

"Hello? Anyone? Help! Please, help me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Get me out of here. Help!" She crawled over to the table, and tried getting the chains off her wrists with the help from the table leg, but that was only cutting her more. "Somebody, please…" She stopped struggling for a second as she tried to stand up, but she fell down on her first attempt. The spikes tore into her ankles causing her to scream louder. "Help!" J.J. could barely watch. It was hard to hear her words through the gags, but that didn't stop her from trying. She pulled her legs up to her chest, and cried. She cried, and cried. How could anybody in their right mind want to watch this? There were already thousands of views on this poor girl's sheer terror. J.J. could feel the girl's heart racing when Harold snuck into the room. He looked her up and down like he was buying a horse from the market. It made J.J. want to vomit.

"Oh Samantha, please be quiet. I cannot hear the music," Harold told her. J.J. didn't even notice that there was music playing until Harold mentioned it. Then J.J. heard an eerie tune mingling with Samantha's cries. It was the same song playing the night they found Reid. J.J. never hated a song more than that one and she didn't even know its title. Harold had his eyes closed, and was actually rocking his body to the music while Samantha tried to scoot away. "Isn't this just lovely? I could listen to this all day long. Did you know that classical music could raise your IQ?" Samantha managed to scoot herself to the far corner, but her face was bright red from crying. She screamed as loud as she could which was not a good idea when she was near Harold.

"Is this truly necessary my dear? We are just getting to know one another, but you cannot let me get a word in edgewise. Our relationship is off to a rocky start, but I am willing to give you another chance." He smiled at her, and walked over to the wall full of strange devices. J.J. didn't want to know what they were for. He grabbed a pair of silver pliers, and bent down close to the girl. His head was blocking hers from the screen, but her short sobs could still be heard over the music. "Let us start over again. My name is Harold." He ripped her gag out, but she didn't have a chance to scream before he plunged the pliers into her mouth. J.J. felt herself cough when she saw the pliers were holding the girl's tongue when Harold stood up. Blood was everywhere. Harold admired the muscle in his hands for a moment, and J.J. was sure that her small meal was going to end up in the toilet soon. J.J. didn't like watching this footage. She didn't like it all.

Samantha held her bound hands over her bleeding mouth while Harold turned away to find something to put the tongue in. J.J. bit her lip when Samantha crawled over to Harold, and the young girl bit him in his heel. Harold cried out with pain. J.J. did admire the girl's bravery, but the girl didn't really know what she was dealing with. Harold picked her up by her blonde hair, and threw across her room. Her head slammed into the side of the table, and she stopped moving by the time she hit the ground. Harold looked at her for a second, but he continued with his task of preserving her tongue. He put the tongue in a little container, and Harold calmly cleaned up the pliers and put them back in their place. "Good night, dear Samantha. We shall play more in the morning." Harold left the room, and J.J. heard the door lock behind him. The footage continued with Samantha lying unconscious on the floor, but J.J. turned it off. She couldn't watch anymore. She didn't bother going back to click on Clayton's link. She remembered the condition that his body was found in.

J.J. retrieved her phone from the charger to call Hotch when she saw that she already had several text messages to look at. She sped through several of them, but stopped when she saw Rossi telling her that they already knew about the tapes. There was also a recent text saying that Reid was awake. She sat back on the bed, and tried to get her stomach to calm down. Samantha wasn't that much younger than she was, and they looked a lot alike. J.J. hurried to the bathroom when the image of Samantha's tongue flashed across her mind. She didn't like to think that she had a weak stomach, but she felt sick to her stomach.

* * *

Reid really couldn't believe that Morgan was sitting right in front of him. They really were safe. They made it, and things were going to get better. He just wished that his body didn't hurt every time he moved. Was Morgan still having nightmares too? Reid didn't even want to ask. He knew that he shouldn't be, but he was embarrassed that Morgan saw everything that happened. Morgan saw him get raped, and Morgan was watching when Harold wrapped his fingers around him.

"I was so scared when I saw they took you," Reid said in a soft whisper. He couldn't help it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about that place. The smells were still in his nose, and he could still feel Harold's hands all over him. It wouldn't stop. "I thought they killed you. I couldn't remember what happened. I woke up, and you were gone."

"It's okay pretty boy. It takes a lot than a pussy servant or a psycho gentleman to get rid of me," Morgan said. Reid knew he was right, and that he shouldn't even be thinking of it. All of that was over now, but his body still ached. He wasn't fond of the catheter making him feel like he needed to use the bathroom every minute, and his rear end was still killing him. He wasn't going to tell Morgan. Those were pains that he was able to handle himself.

"Markus is dead, isn't he?" Reid couldn't really remember. That last night was such a blur to him, but he remembered someone mentioning Markus to him before.

"That bastard deserved it," Morgan said.

"He tried to save me," Reid said. He remembered that. He remembered the animalistic look that Harold got in his eyes when he knocked Reid off that table. Markus didn't want to help, but he tried to in the end. Markus tried to protect Reid and Susan when the lights went out.

Why was Reid able to forget most of what happened that horrible night when he could still feel Harold's hands all over his body? Why were the nightmares easier to remember? Reid did want to start crying. He wanted to cry to make it all go away. He needed to stop thinking about it, but those thoughts wouldn't go away. He wanted his pills back. He knew that he had a problem with them, but they helped clear his thoughts. He wanted Morgan to know exactly what he was thinking and how he was feeling, but his friend didn't. Reid didn't want to go down this path alone, but he didn't want to tell Morgan about what happened when he left. Morgan didn't need to know that he was screaming while Markus watched him get raped or how scared Reid was when he was left alone. Morgan didn't need to suffer with Reid.

"Try not to think about that right now," Morgan replied. Reid could hear his own breath speeding up. He did need to calm himself down. Why did he still feel afraid? Why couldn't he just get over what happened and move on with his life? Morgan put one of his hands on top of Reid's, and Reid felt his breath slow down. Why did Reid find it so hard to talk about what happened to him? He knew that Morgan would take everything he said seriously. Morgan would never laugh at him or try to hurt him. Morgan would be the only one who would really understand.

"Morgan," Reid said quietly. He didn't know where to start. He tried reminding himself that talking about his pain would help, but he didn't want to add anymore burden to what Morgan had to go through. Morgan had his own scars that needed healing. "I," Reid started, but he was interrupted when a doctor came in the room. Reid lost the courage to talk to Morgan in that one instant. Reid wanted his pills. His pills took away all of his physical pain, and it took his mind to a place where it couldn't be touched. His pills didn't hurt anyone but himself. He needed them.

"Glad to see you are still awake Mr. Reid," Meyer said smiling. Morgan took his hand off Reid's hand, and turned to look at the doctor. "Ready for me to look at those stitches?"

Reid wasn't ready for the doctor to be anywhere near him, but what could Reid say? He nodded his consent, and the doctor moved around to the other side of the bed. He felt his hospital gown open from the back, and the doctor lowered down his sheet. Morgan never left his chair, but Reid felt a lump get stuck in his throat when he saw a nurse come into the room. She circled around to be with the doctor, and Morgan put his hand back on Reid's. He must have seen how nervous Reid looked. He hated not being able to control how he felt.

"I'm just going to take some of these bandages off," Meyer said. "I'll take them off slowly. Just tell me if anything hurts." Morgan never took his eyes off of Reid. The doctor paused to see if Reid would say anything, but Reid remained silent. He held his breath as the doctor took off the first bandage. It didn't hurt, but he was scared. He didn't want to be scared. The doctor repeated the process with several other bandages covering his back. Reid felt the cool air sting his open sores, and he gasped without thinking.

"Reid?" Morgan asked. He looked concerned.

"Just cold," Reid assured him. He didn't look content with that answer, but the doctor moved on. He lightly touched a few of the wounds, and whispered words that only the nurse could here which did nothing to help Reid's nerves.

"A few of these will need to be re-stitched," Meyer said. "Looks like you moved around a lot in your sleep. Some of these are still bleeding. I'm going to prescribe a little more pain medication. You can't tell me that this doesn't hurt." The doctor touched one of the larger cuts, and Reid cried out from the contact. Reid tried scooting away from the unwanted touch until he remembered where he was. What was wrong with him? He stopped moving, and tried to relax when the doctor poked a needle through his skin. His back needed to be deadened before the doctor could work on his stitches. He tried to ignore the sounds that the doctor and nurse made behind him while they stringed through his bleeding back. If he had his pills, he wouldn't be worried at all about what was happening behind him. He wouldn't feel the constant ache between his legs or the cough that refused to leave his throat. He would just feel better.

* * *

_Harold hated it when his parents chose to eat at the smaller table. It was just more of their fantasy that their family was close. His mother thought that if she saw him once a month, that was adequate time to form a relationship with him. She really didn't know anything about him. Michael chose one side of the table and Harold sat across from him with their parents sitting on either side. A butler came up to them before a word was spoken. _

"_What kind of ice cream for you sir?" the butler asked Harold's father. His father sat for a moment, and scanned over the little menu in front of him. _

"_I'll have simply chocolate," he said. "You can't go wrong with the basics."_

"_And for you ma'am?" the butler asked moving towards Harold's mother. _

"_I'll try the Rosewater this time around, and get little Harold some cookie dough ice cream. I know how he always loved that."_

_Harold put the menu he had been looking at back down on the table. He glared at his mother, but she took no notice. He liked cookie dough when he was about 5 years old. He was much older than that now, and he hated that flavor. The butler skipped over Harold, and walked over to his brother._

"_I'll have the pumpkin cheesecake," Michael said proudly._

"_Pumpkin? But it's only March," their mother protested._

"_Does it matter Mother? I like pumpkin," Michael replied. _

_The butler waited for an argument to break out between mother and son, but both held their tongues. The butler took the menus away from them, and left to gather the ice cream._

"_So Michael, I have been hearing good things from your tutors. Your father and I could not be more proud of you. I do wish that you would spend less time around the books though. You are much too skinny. Why don't you go with Harold to the stables sometimes?" Their mother sipped a glass of water in front of her, and crossed her legs underneath the table. Both of the boys remained perfectly still in their chairs with their backs straight and their eyes facing forward._

"_I don't like the horses," Michael said. _

"_Then I'm going to make sure you are given more swimming lessons every evening," their mother quickly replied. "No lady will look twice at you right now. Harold has more muscles than you do and he's much younger. You need to get more exercise."_

"_But Mother," Michael started. "I do not like sports. I have a different body type than Harold does. I'll never look like him."_

"_You will if you continue to work out," she said. "And you will. End of discussion." _

_The butler returned with their ice cream, and Harold lost any appetite he might have had when the ice cream was placed in front of him. He hated the silver bowl that it sat in with its matching silver spoon. That just fed into the illusion that was his life. He put the spoon in his mouth, but he didn't taste it melting on his tongue. He was more interested in his mother and father putting the food into their mouths. He saw them swallow, and put more on their spoons before they finished with the first bite. His mother batted her lips with her napkin every other bite, and his father kept his eyes on the food. It was obvious from this observation that his parents no longer loved each other. It was a mystery if they ever did. _

"_Harold, I do not like you staring at me like that dear," his mother said. As much as Harold hated to, he directed his attention away from her. When she started eating again, he looked at his brother who was acting strangely with his silverware. He was running his fingers over his knife, and then he wrapped his hand around his fork. He didn't need a fork to eat ice cream. "Harold, I asked you a question!" his mother snapped._

"_Excuse me?" He looked her straight in the eye, and ran his tongue over his upper lip to get off any stray ice cream. _

"_I just wanted to tell you that poor Alexandra's cat died."_

_Alexandra was one of the women working in the kitchen. She liked to take her cat to work, and Mother approved as long as the cat wasn't near the food. Harold used to play with the cat whenever Michael was in a lesson or when it was too cold to play outside._

"_How?"_

"_We think the poor thing fell out of a tree," Harold's father answered. "Her neck was broken."_

"_How does a cat fall out of a tree Father?" Michael asked._

_Harold knew how a cat could fall out of a tree. He chased the cat up the tree, and he wanted to know if all cats really landed on their feet. Apparently, all cats don't land on their feet. He heard a large snapping sound when the cat hit the ground. Harold crawled down, and stared at the dead body for a while. He bent down to stroke the fur, and he felt around the neck. He picked up the animal, and snapped the neck back further. The body twitched and he put it back down. It had been a good cat. _

"_The body was underneath the tree. Don't mention it to Alexandra. She's devastated."_

_At that moment, Michael pulled the fork out and slammed it into his hand. Blood squirted out around the fork and Harold couldn't stop staring. The blood gathered around the wound like paint falling into place on a masterpiece. It was beautiful. Michael cried out, and their mother pushed herself away from the table._

"_Michael! My dear, what happened?"_

_Michael shed some crocodile tears, and sheltered his hand near his shirt. Harold got up from the table and went to his older brother. He smelled the warm blood on Michael, and he felt heat coming from his pants. _

"_I thought the fork was a spoon. I must have grabbed it by mistake. My apologies, but I think it is best for me to retire for the night. Harold could accompany me to my room. I fear I might pass out without his assistance," Michael blurted out._

"_Of course dear," she said. "Sleep well tonight."_

_They both nodded to their parents, and Harold followed Michael out to the hallway. Michael was laughing when they reached the elevators. _

"_Did you see their faces? They were horrified!"_

"_How did you think of that?" Harold asked. He was still in awe of the blood still dripping from his brother's hands. The bleeding wasn't that bad, but Harold wanted to touch it._

"_It just came to me. Brilliant, right? Let me grab the handcuffs from the room. Wait right here," Michael instructed when the elevator stopped. Harold walked over to the railing, and looked down at the entryway below. He wondered what it would be like if someone fell from such a tall height. Would their necks crack like the kitty's did? He turned around when he heard someone approaching. It was Alexandra. She was carrying old dishes that Harold left in his room. Harold walked right up to her and smiled._

"_Can I help you dearie?" she asked._

"_Was your cat stiff when you found her?" Harold asked innocently. _

"_What?"_

"_Did the neck hang down when you picked her up? Did you see the blood spots on her mouth?"_

_Alexandra had the strangest expression on her face. Harold couldn't pinpoint the emotion she was going through, but it didn't look very pleasant. Harold didn't back away though. He would never back away. _

"_Are you going to stand around all day Harold?" Michael called out. The handcuffs were safely in one of his pockets, and he was waiting for Harold in one of the hallways. "Come along!"Harold left Alexandra standing with the dishes in the tray. _

* * *

Hotch left the hospital when he was confident that Prentiss wasn't going to confront whoever wrote that night. Hotch just wanted to watch all of the tapes before the fast approaching trial, and that didn't give him much time. He was expecting a call from J.J. anytime now to tell him that they were heading back. He needed to remember to send Rossi to get Prentiss so they could go back to rest. He wasn't going to wear his team out. They had given their all to this case. He just couldn't ask any more of them. Rossi wasn't even looking like himself anymore. They went out the back which is where they parked the SUV, and they were on the road before anyone saw them. Hotch was going to try to finish the tapes while Rossi reviewed the surveillance footage of the station. It wasn't going to be that hard to find the man who was harassing Prentiss.

"Are we going to talk to Harold when we get there or before we leave?" Rossi asked when the station came in view.

"Before we leave," Hotch said. He wanted to make that bastard wait.

"If he brings up Reid again…"

"If he brings that up in court, I don't think they will even need to see the tapes or talk to the survivors. That will be enough to lock him away for life."

"I want him to get the death penalty," Rossi said.

"I do too," Hotch said. He parked the car in front, and made his way through the reporters with relative ease. They had officers stationed outside to keep the crowds under control. Hotch wished they did that sooner. They flashed their badges to the officer standing at the door, and felt a cool breeze of air go through the hair as they went inside. As they decided, Rossi went over to the front desk to find the footage from yesterday while Hotch went to the evidence room. He needed to talk to somebody about how the media got a hold of one of the tapes. That couldn't happen again, and he knew it was somebody working there.

He settled back into his chair, and put the last tape he was watching back into the VCR. The tape was playing when he noticed something else in one of the evidence bags. He put a pair of gloves on, and pulled out a small book. This wasn't Harold's diary. Hotch remembered looking over that diary soon after they arrested him. This was something else. He opened the book up to the last few pages, and guessed that this was Markus' diary. It wasn't signed, but he was the only one working with Harold, and these pages dealt a lot with the abductions.

_Anne is going to be so happy when she finds out how much money I'm sending her. Harold never paid me this much before. I just probably shouldn't have accepted all that money from Harold. The guy upstairs isn't doing too well at all. I know I'm not to blame, but I'm scared. If the cops burst in here and find that agent, I'll get in trouble too. I know Harold will put the blame on me, and I never touched the kid. Harold raped the kid in front of me the other day. He raped him. I couldn't believe it. He actually had the poor guy get on his knees, and Harold was trying to instruct me on how to rape somebody like if I wanted to in the future. What was I supposed to do? I don't know what to do anymore. I really don't. I kinda wish he would die so we could get him out of this house. God, please guide me. What do you want me to do?_

Hotch put the book down with the rest of the evidence and turned his attention back to what was on the television screen. God wasn't anywhere near that house. If Hotch ever had any respect for the man named Markus, it was lost. He couldn't respect any man wishing for the death of any member of Hotch's team. If Markus was still alive, Hotch would make sure he knew that.

Rossi sat down with a young officer to review the footage. All he wanted to do was get a good look at the man who was talking to Prentiss. It wouldn't hurt if that girl they met the other day was on the tape as well. He was sure that she had something to do with it. She was acting so strangely when she met Reid, and she disappeared without a trace. Prentiss didn't mention the girl being there, but it wouldn't hurt to hope.

"How long have you been doing this?" the officer asked. Rossi took one look at him, but he focused back on the screen.

"Longer than you've been alive," he answered.

"Seen lots of bodies?"

"Why did you get into this job if I can ask?" Rossi asked. He scooted closer to the screen when he saw Hotch and Prentiss arriving at the station.

"To help people."

"Then you should probably be focusing on that, not on body counts. Look here," Rossi said pointing at the screen. Prentiss walked away from Hotch, and walked up to a young man. The young man was tall, but he wasn't lanky like Reid was. His hair was light brown, and it was cut short on his head. Rossi couldn't tell his eye color, but he didn't like the way this guy was looking at Prentiss. He was already profiling the guy just by the way he stood, dressed, and talked. Although the camera didn't have sound, Rossi could tell that this guy was smooth with his words. He dressed casually, but he stood with confidence. He had a smirk on his face which told Rossi that this guy thought he could get away with anything. He wasn't afraid of Prentiss at all, and Rossi even noticed that he was blatantly staring at her chest. Rossi released his fingers from the first that he didn't even know he formed when the guy finally left. This was definitely the guy who wanted to attack Prentiss, but he couldn't figure out why.

Rossi reviewed the tape back to where Prentiss was talking to him, and he paused it.

"Think you could print me up this picture?" Rossi asked.

"I'm right on it," the young officer said.

They had a face now that could be attached to the threat, but the girl wasn't there. Maybe she was his girlfriend or something, but she had some part to play. She was sneaking around the hospital that day, and she did want to get in to see Reid. What in the world did she want? If she was working with this guy, he would want to know what he was up against. He chose Prentiss, but he knew that she was with the FBI. He probably sent Cassandra to get the names of the other team members. Rossi stood up, and took the picture from the officer when he got back.

"Do you think Harold is going to get the death penalty?" he asked. He moved out of the way so Rossi could pass. Rossi needed to tell his thoughts about the mysterious man right away.

"I think Harold is up for several death penalties."

* * *

_Harold felt uncertain as he followed his big brother up an old staircase. The stairs wobbled beneath his feet, and the smell was just dreadful. It was true when Michael said that Mother didn't know about this place. She would have maids working 24/7 if she knew just to control the rancid smell. His brother climbed up the stairs with ease, and waited for Harold at the top. Harold walked ahead, and saw that there with three rooms side by side in an abandoned wing of the house. Cobwebs were on the walls, and it looked like the light bulb was having a difficult time staying on. _

"_Look at this place!" Michael said smiling. "This last room is my favorite."_

_Michael opened the door to the third room and Harold followed him inside. It was a very large room with an old table in the center. Harold also spotted a cabinet and a little desk against one of the walls. Hanging from one of the walls, he saw several old daggers. He walked over there, and ran his fingers across the sharp blade. He didn't make a sound when the blade sliced his finger. He looked at the blood running down his hand. _

"_Did you know that someone was hanged in this room? I found books in the library about the history of this house. It's pretty messed up. This one guy was found guilty of stealing a boat or something, and they hanged him here. Can you believe it?"_

"_Yes," Harold simply said. _

"_This house has belonged to our family for centuries. Can you imagine Grandmother climbing up all those stairs? That would be a sight to see."_

"_How is your hand?" Harold asked. He left the wall of daggers, and went over to investigate his brother's wound. It stopped bleeding, but it still looked sore to the touch._

"_It doesn't hurt," Michael said. "We could probably try selling all those knives. They are worth a fortune I'm sure. Mother would kill us if she caught us selling the family jewels. Right? Are you ready to start playing yet?"_

_Michael took off his shirt, and folded it neatly underneath the table. He took off his shoes and socks, and pulled the handcuffs out from his back pocket. He pressed down on the table to make sure that it would hold him, and he laughed._

"_This table is perfect, isn't it?" He sat on the table, and laid down on his stomach. He put one of the handcuffs on his wrist, and attached the other end to part of the table. Harold felt a heat growing inside his pants. "Try to make it hurt this time. I dare you," Michael teased. Harold licked the blood off of his own finger, and walked over to his brother on the table._

* * *

Harold sensed that the agents were near. He had so much that he wanted to tell. He was almost afraid that he would forget, but he had a very good memory. Michael always liked his memory. He wanted to be able to meet everyone on young Reid's team, but he knew that was too much to hope for. He was never properly introduced to Agents Garcia or Prentiss. He was getting bored with Agent Hotchner and Agent Rossi. Hotchner found it hard to smile for some reason, and Rossi was just too old for Harold's liking. Reid was just perfect. There were no flaws about that boy. He had a perfect body with a gentle soul to go along with it. Harold admitted that Reid was feisty at times, but that just made Harold want him even more. It was always a struggle to get what he wanted from Reid, but he always won in the end.

Harold stood up to stretch himself out in the cell. He wanted to be awake when they finally came to see him. He knew that they were making him wait, but that was no matter. He knew they were close, and that excited him. He considered asking one of the guards for some cologne, but he knew he would be laughed at. He hadn't had a proper bath since they dragged him out of his home that night, and he knew that he didn't smell the best.

"Kind sir," Harold called out to the closest guard. "Could you please inform the agents that I am expecting their company as soon as they are finished out there?"

"How did you know….nerve mind," the guard said. "They will see you when they want to."

"Could you inform them that more people are afraid of spiders than they are of death? I think that would be good for them to know," Harold said smiling. He didn't back away from the bars of his cell until the guard walked away. If he was able to get a lock of the doctor's hair, he would be able to keep it with him for all time. He was sure that he would be able to make a deal where he could get some hair if he released some valuable information. What he really wanted was to see Reid. Reid was in most of his thoughts, and he felt himself get excited when he thought of what he could do to the boy when they met again. He was sure that the rude darker agent was protecting Reid, but he wouldn't be able to be with the kid all of the time. Harold just had to wait. He would see Reid soon. He was sure of it.

_and the end with chapter 49. so what did u guys think? this chapter stuck a lot more with the original characters from the earlier chapters. its always hard writing about the doctor stuff cuz i have never been in that situation myself. oh and a special thanks to zannabanana who has been helping me a lot with everything. dont expect super long chapters like this n the future tho lol. i had a lot i needed to get in2 this chapter so ya. PLZ review! i need to know what u guys think cuz remember, more reviews = faster updates. dont u guys want to know what happens next? i do 2 =) xoxo_


	50. Chapter 50

_guys, we are already on chapter 50...i think sum1 owes me a cookie. or 50 cookies. i want 50 cookies. that is my demand. nah, they say u r what u eat and id rather not end up as buttery goodness with melted chocolate dripping down my sides. *drools* ok, nvm, just enjoy the chapter. and warnings, um jude is in this so hes pretty much a warning himself. he cusses quite a bit and he really doesnt like girls. so ya. and goodbye to another character. i see the end of my story in sight =)_

Victor sat down near his wife after he turned on the television. He really did want to know what the news was saying about them. He would be the first to admit that he wasn't the best father to either one of his sons, but he didn't think that could result in one of them being a murderer. That didn't make any sense. They both did well in their studies. Michael even wanted to go to college, and he would have if it wasn't for that dreadful fall. Victor never wanted to bury one of his children. That was something that no parent should ever have to go through. If things kept going the way they were, he would be at the funeral of his other son soon enough.

"And how long did you know Harold Caldwell?" a reporter asked a shaded figure. Victor could tell that it was a woman, and that she was probably wearing a wig.

"We were inseparable since we were little kids," she said. Victor did not know his son well, but he knew that Harold never had any real friends besides his brother.

"Where did you meet?"

"We were neighbors forever."

"Did Harold ever have any little girlfriends?" Olivia whispered.

"No," Victor replied. Victor would have known if Harold had a friendship like the woman was describing. He didn't think any of his neighbors ever had children.

"What kind of child was he?" the reporter continued.

"He was a really happy little boy. He loved animals, especially dogs. He was really good at riding horses too. I think he wanted to be a jockey at one time."

"When did he change?"

"Um," the woman paused. "One day, he told me that his father started touching him. I didn't know what to say. I mean, what can you really say to that? I didn't hear anything else for like a week, and the next time I saw him, he wasn't the same at all. He didn't want to talk to me anymore. I think his father was raping him."

"What?" Victor shouted at the screen. "I never touched my son!"

"Don't yell at the television dear. The servants will talk," Olivia said calmly.

"I don't want some bitch saying lies about me! Harold never had a friend like her, and I never even hit my son!"

"She's just looking for her 15 minutes of fame. She'll disappear soon enough," Olivia. She pulled Victor back down on the couch, but Victor couldn't calm himself down. This case was getting national attention because of the body count. People wouldn't just forget about this, and he didn't want to be blamed for all of those people getting murdered.

"But I do think it was Harold's mother as well," the woman told the reporter. Victor slowly turned to his wife. She was sitting completely still without saying a word. It was the calm before the storm. Victor knew her well enough to be afraid. "She was such a mean lady! She never let him out of the house until he said the rosary like 50 times or something. And then, whenever he got dirty, she would like beat him. I don't think she did it herself. She wouldn't want to her hands dirty, but he would come out with like black eyes and cuts all over his back. I think he was more afraid of her than he was his dad."

"Turn it off," Olivia said. "Turn it off now!"

Victor jumped to his feet, and turned off the TV. This would explain why the reporters suddenly showed up at their house. They were convinced by some liar that they were child abusers who are responsible for Harold going crazy.

"We need to go to the station and find that damned lawyer. There must be something that can be done to stop these reporters from spreading lies about the family. Maybe I'll just go out and say about the schizo agent or the sexual history of that other agent. They need to stop talking about my family now!"

"Honey, how do you think their families will feel about that?"

"Does it really matter?" Olivia asked. She stood up, and was straightening out her blouse. "One has a dead daddy, and the other one's mommy is currently living with the men in the white coats. I don't think either one of them will mind." She smiled sweetly at him, and he followed her out of the room. He did want that lawyer to stop talking about them, but he didn't really think that gossiping about the agents would stop that. Maybe it would be better if Harold was locked up. If he was really innocent, why were there tapes of the murders in his house? Victor knew that he would have to face the facts soon enough that his son was a murderer.

* * *

Morgan didn't like the nurse giving Reid more pain medication through his IV, but Reid didn't complain. Morgan thought that was odd, but maybe Reid really was hurting more than he let on. He couldn't let the kid slip back into a black spot again. No matter what Reid tried to say, they both knew that this was much worse than what happened with Henkle.

"That should do for now," Dr. Meyer said standing back up. Morgan didn't look at the used bandages on the table or the blood on their gloves. "We will need to be giving you another sponge bath soon though. We could do that later tonight, and finish up with your stitches then if that is alright with you."

Reid just nodded his head in consent. Morgan could tell that wasn't what the doctor was expecting, but he left with the nurse and the rolling table.

"Are you ok Reid?" Morgan asked. Reid was looking pale again. He knew that it would get better once they were back home. It was going to be impossible to recover with the man who did that to them only minutes away.

"I'm fine," Reid said quickly. "Just getting tired."

Morgan nodded. That's why he hated all that pain medication. It always knocked him out, but for some reason, the nurses always found it entertaining to wake him up at strange hours in the night. He hated them for that. He'd be in a good sleep, and they would barge in to check his vitals or something. Sleeping well in a hospital was never going to happen.

"Don't fall asleep before J.J. and Garcia get here," Prentiss said. Morgan turned around, and saw her walking in with flowers from the gift shop. She didn't look much more well rested than Reid did. She put the flowers on Reid's nightstand.

"Thanks," Reid said smiling. Morgan loved to see Reid smiling again.

"Wait one second," Morgan said getting up. "I'll be right back." He hurried out of the room to find the nail polish Garcia left in his room. Teasing the kid about nail polish would definitely make both of them feel better. He stretched out his fingers, and started scanning his own room for the big bag Garcia left. He spotted it on one of the chairs, and started rummaging for it when he overhead the news on the television. He didn't remember turning it on. His mother must have been watching it before he left. He was going to turn it off when he saw himself getting handcuffed on the wall. His breath stopped. He saw Reid's bloody forehead across from him, and he watched that son of a bitch butler take off his shoes and socks. He felt his legs get weak from under him, and he sat down on the bed before he fell. Where did this tape come from? Was there more? This was on the news? So many questions were filling his head, and he couldn't concentrate enough to answer them.

"And reports are still coming in from the station itself," the news anchor said. "Mr. Caldwell is apparently still asking for one of the agents."

Morgan wanted to turn off the TV, but he didn't have the strength. He forgot why he was even back in his room. All he could think about was that they were taped. Harold was filming them the entire time, and nobody told him. The entire world was watching what happened to them now. Morgan felt his breathing get faster, but he didn't care. What the hell was going on? Why didn't his team tell him? If Harold got their arrival on tape, that meant he had everything. Did he have Morgan's beating? Was Reid's rape saved forever on video?

"More of the tapes that came directly from the Caldwell house can be viewed on our website," the news anchor said. "Be aware that this footage is not suitable for younger viewers."

What other footage did they have? Was it all of him and Reid? How the hell did the news get it?

"Agent Morgan?" a nurse came up to him. "It's good you are in here. The doctor wants to you to rest for a while in your bed."

"Can you get Agent Prentiss in here?" Morgan asked without any feeling to his voice.

"Agent Prentiss?"

"Yeah, she's in Reid's room," Morgan said. "Agent Reid," he added.

"Alrightie then," she said smiling. "Just stay put."

Morgan swung his legs on the bed when she left, but he could feel the blood boiling in his veins. How the hell could someone have the nerve to show the world that footage? People were suffering, and they were advertising it like it was some new horror movie. Reid was never going to see that. He was going to make sure of it.

* * *

Anne was getting sick of having to drag her kids around with her wherever she went. She wasn't planning on staying that long when she first left. She just wanted to make sure that Markus was alright. He wasn't supposed to have died. He wasn't supposed to be involved in this at all. Her whole world felt like it was falling apart, and it took strong will power to be able to pass the liquor store without going inside. She probably would have if Kyle wasn't with her. She loved her children, she really did, but she needed some alone time badly. She needed to think things through. She would never be able to tell Kyle what was going on if she didn't understand herself.

The police station was still pretty crowded, but it was less hectic than the day before. Anne noticed that there were a lot less young women, and she figured that the tapes released to the media had something to do with it. She wondered how many people hated her brother. There had to be a reasonable explanation for all of it. Her brother wasn't a cold blooded killer. Harold put him up to it somehow. She wished her brother told her what was going on. She could have helped or something.

"Mommy, it's hot. I wanna go home," Kyle complained while they made their way through the crowds. He was fanning his forehead, and Anne was trying her best to keep Cistine cool.

"We just need to go in here for a second," she told him. The baby carrier weighed a ton, and she could feel sweat dripping down her forehead. She hated the summer. She was thankful when the protesters moved out of the way for her and the kids. The cop at the front entrance wasn't as courteous.

"ID please," he told her with no emotion whatsoever in his voice. Anne put the baby carrier down, and started searching through her purse for her wallet.

"I'm Kyle," her son told him. "I like your hat lots."

"Thank you," he said smiling.

"I told you he could talk!" Kyle shouted. "I was watching this show on TV, and it said that you kind of people can't talk but I knew the show was lying."

"Shush!" Anne told Kyle. She pulled her ID out of her bag and handed it to the officer. "Sorry about him. We've had a long week. I'm just here to speak with one of the agents," she said. She forgot their names. She wanted to sound official so the cop wouldn't question why she was there, but she could only remember what they looked like. "Agent Prentiss!" she blurted out. The cop gave her back her driver's license, and allowed her inside.

She picked up the carrier, and grabbed Kyle's hand as they walked in. A cool breeze hit her as she made her way to the front desk. She looked at the chaos of the officers around her, and made sure to keep her son at her side. Why was she doing all of this? Just to assure herself that her own flesh and blood wasn't a psychopath? There was no denying that it was Markus in that video, but there had to be an explanation of some kind.

"Can I help you ma'am?"

"Um yes," Anne said loudly. She needed to be heard from the other voices in the room. "My name is Anne, and I'm here to speak with one of the federal agents. My brother was involved with the crimes done in the Caldwell house, and I just need to clear some things up."

"Wait right here ma'am," the woman at the front desk said. Anne put down the carrier, and watched the woman disappear into some back rooms. Anne turned around to watch the cops talk urgently with one another, but she was more focused on her son who was growing more curious by the minute. She never let go of his hand, but she was noticing that Cistine was also wide awake. It wouldn't be long before she was crying for hugs or a bottle.

When she saw a man in a suit talking to the front desk lady, Anne didn't wait. She picked up the carrier, and dragged Kyle back with her. She was going to talk to this man now. She remembered seeing him that night. He was hard to forget with his pale skin and black hair. He saw her coming, but he didn't move to even look up at her. He kept his eyes on the woman talking to him. She felt Kyle's hand tense up as they got closer to the agent, but she didn't stop until she was right in front of him.

"Are you Batman?" Kyle asked the agent as soon as the woman stopped talking.

"Sorry about him," Anne apologized. She flashed Kyle an angry look while the woman walked back to her station.

"But it is Batman! He looks just like him mom!"

"Not now!" Anne said in a loud whisper. "I'm sorry. We've had a very long week. My name is Anne. I am Markus' sister. We met once before at the house."

"I remember," the agent said.

"Yeah, well, I just saw something on the news today that was footage from that room, and it looked like my brother was um, helping, and I was wondering if he had anything to do with the murders," Anne said in one breath.

The dark haired agent looked down at her children, and then looked around like he was looking for someone. He looked at the kids again, and then he opened up a door to what looked like a conference room behind him. It was empty aside for a television and a table with chairs.

"What's your name?" he asked her son.

"I'm Kyle. You're Batman. Aren't you?" Anne had never been more embarrassed before.

"If I was really Batman, do you think I'd tell you? Do you want to go in that room with your sister and draw me a really cool picture? I would be great to hang in my bat lair…I mean, house."

"You are Batman! I knew it!" Kyle shouted at him. "Batman!"

"Then do as he says," Anne said. "Go draw him a picture. You wouldn't want to make Batman mad at you, would you?"

Kyle ran over to the big table, and Anne put the baby in the room next to him. She shut the door behind her, and looked back at the agent. He was really good working with children.

"My name is Agent Hotchner," he finally told her. "I work with the BAU department of the FBI, and I did see you that night. Markus wasn't a bad man. I think he made wrong choices. In the end, he was trying to save lives while risking his own."

"So he didn't hurt anybody?"

"He never touched anybody in that room unless he was trying to help. I think he was just afraid. He left behind quite an extensive diary that you will be able to keep after the trial is over. It looks like he left you quite a bit of money."

"Wait, what?"

"He was saving up money for a long time to help you with your children," Agent Hotchner said. "Markus really loved you."

"We were the only family we had," Anne said. "Our parents both died and we didn't live that close to each other. I wanted to move closer, but I never had enough money."

"Markus made a lot of wrong choices, and he realized that in the end. He really did try to save the people that Harold abducted, and that's what cost him his life."

"Thank you," Anne said. She hugged the agent tightly, and tried to stop the tears falling from her eyes. She was going to miss her brother more than words could say. She was never really alone during her time raising the children until now. She couldn't call him to remind him of church on Sundays, and she wouldn't receive any little cards from him on the weekends. The brother that she grew up with was gone in an instant, and she would never see him again. "I loved him so much. He was my world. What am I supposed to do without him? I don't even know how to tell Kyle, and he's been asking."

"Does he know about death yet?"

"He had a goldfish a while back that died, but no dogs or anything. We could never afford one, and a fish isn't the same thing as his uncle…He's seen Batman kill the bad guys in the shows, but that isn't real. He really thinks your Batman," she said smiling.

"He needs to know what happened to his uncle," Agent Hotchner said without much emotion. "Don't tell him any details, but he needs to know Markus isn't going to come back. It would be cruel to let him think his uncle will visit any day."

"I know, I know. I'll tell him something. He does need to know," Anne said. She picked up her bag, and dried off her fallen tears. "I'm sorry. I don't normally act like this."

"It's normal to feel this way when somebody this close to you has died. You just need to watch out for yourself, and your children. You should go back home and rest," Agent Hotchner told her. "Things will get better."

"Thank you agent," she said. She opened the door and called to Kyle before she could burst out crying again. She picked up the baby carrier with Cistine in it, and put Kyle's hand in her own. "You really have the best people working on your team. You are all saints," she said smiling.

* * *

Rossi kept the picture of Jude in his hands. He needed to show Hotch right away. They had a picture of the guy, and Prentiss already spoke with him. It wouldn't be that hard to find him in a small town. Rossi also had to remember to tell Hotch that the kid probably wouldn't be as polite as Harold when he was confronted. He was staring at Prentiss' chest without any fears or worries that there would be consequences to his actions. Rossi usually didn't dislike people at the first sight, but he did with this kid. He went out to the conference room when he saw Hotch talking to a woman in the hallway. Rossi remembered her. She was the spitting image of her brother with her dark hair and olive skin. She was the sister of Markus.

Rossi put the picture of the young man in his coat, and he went up to Hotch just as she was leaving with two children. Rossi waited until she was out of sight before he stood by Hotch. He pulled the picture out of his coat, and handed it to Hotch.

"Was that Markus' sister?" Rossi asked.

"Yes. She just wanted to know if her brother was a murderer," Hotch said.

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth," Hotch said. "Markus tried to save them in the end, and it looks like he's left her a lot of money. He has a journal. I found it in the evidence boxes."

"Batman! Sir!" the little boy said running up to them. He handed Hotch a drawing it look like he made himself. "I forgot to give this to you. It's the bat cave! See right there? That's your bat car. Is this Alfred?" he asked Rossi excitedly.

Rossi looked at Hotch and then back at the little boy. The kid thought Hotch was batman. Rossi had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He couldn't wait to tell everyone else.

"Don't be so loud," Hotch whispered to him. He bent down to the kid and talked in his ear. "You can't give out secret identities away. We can't let everyone knowing who we are."

"I won't tell anyone! Promise! My mom doesn't even think it's really you."

"You won't tell her, will you?" Rossi asked joining in the game.

"Cross my heart, hope to die," the little boy promised. "I've gotta go. Mom's waiting," he said pointing over to his mother. "You won't lose my drawing, will you?"

"Never," Hotch promised. "I'll hang it where I said I would."

The little boy ran back over to his mother after hugging Hotch and Rossi tightly. His mother waved at them once her son's hand was safe in hers, and she left the station. Hotch folded up the drawing, and put it in his pocket.

"So Batman, what's the plan?" Rossi asked with a smile.

"He convinced himself I was," Hotch said. "I'd rather be Batman than Alfred."

"Alfred was a very good character," Rossi argued. "Batman would be nothing without him."

"You're right about that," Hotch said. "We need to see Harold one last time before the trial."

"I'm going to smash his head in if he doesn't stop talking about Reid," Rossi threatened.

"After I do," Hotch said. They turned to go to the cells when Rossi felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He singled to Hotch to stop, and put the phone to his ear.

"Rossi."

"Hey, it's J.J. We're coming back to the hospital now. Is Hotch at the jail?"

"We both are right now. Prentiss is with Morgan and Reid in the hospital."

Hotch stepped closer to hear the conversation, and Rossi heard Garcia mumbling something in the background.

"Garcia, they don't need all that stuff!" J.J. said in a muffled voice. "Sorry, will you guys be back soon?"

"We're going to have a little chat with Harold first," Rossi told her. Hotch took the phone from Rossi, and put it on speaker phone.

"J.J.?" Hotch asked.

"Hey Hotch," she said.

"Could you or Garcia go with Prentiss back to the hotel? She's exhausted, and I don't any of us walking anywhere by ourselves," Hotch said.

"I know. Garcia told me about the note, and both of us saw the tapes on the news. What happens if Morgan or Reid see it?"

"We'll have to tell them," Hotch said slowly. "They don't know yet."

"Okay well, I'll have Garcia go with Prentiss back to the hotel. Should she stay there with her or come back after she drops Prentiss off?"

"She needs to stay with her," Hotch said firmly.

"Got it," J.J. said. "I'll see you guys soon. Have fun with Harold!"

Hotch handed the phone back to Rossi, and Rossi put it back in his pocket. Hotch finally looked at the picture Rossi gave him.

"This is the guy?"

"Yep."

"No name?"

"It won't be that hard to find the guy. We could probably give the picture to Garcia, and she could run it through the database or J.J. could put the picture on the news saying that it's a missing person or something," Rossi said.

"I don't want the guy knowing that we're onto him," Hotch said. "Are we sure that this is the guy who wants to hurt her?"

"I don't think we'll know for 100%, but he was a creep for sure. He was staring at her chest the entire time. I still think that girl from yesterday has something to do with it. She was nervous the whole time she was there, and she ran away as soon as she could. Maybe she is working with this guy?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Hotch said. "We're going to find this guy."

Rossi knew Hotch was right, and Hotch was probably already thinking of ways to stop the guy and his little friends. Nobody was going to hurt Prentiss or anyone else on their team. Hotch did have a lot in common with Batman though. They both liked to find the bad guys, and hide what they were really thinking from the world. Rossi half expected to see a bat mask hidden away in Hotch's jacket. If Batman did really exist, it was probably Hotch.

* * *

Prentiss didn't really want to leave Reid, but she needed to see what Morgan wanted. He probably needed help looking for Garcia's nail polish or something. She was surprised that he didn't bring back the whole bag, but she went to help him. She was surprised when she saw him on his bed with the news on. She stepped forward and saw the pictures that nosy photographers took of the boys in the hospital.

"Harold taped us?" Morgan asked.

Prentiss had no idea what to say. She wanted Hotch to deal with this. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing or upsetting Morgan further. She looked at the bandages wrapped around his chest and back. She saw the ones covering his wrists and ankles, and she knew there was pain hidden beneath his chocolate eyes. What could she possibly tell him?

"Yes, he did," she finally told him.

"What did he tape?"

"He has tapes going back years. The whole house is under surveillance," Prentiss explained.

"So everything he did to us was recorded…?"

Prentiss couldn't tell him. The worst moments of their lives were immortalized through a video camera, and now it was out on the internet where the entire world could see. Prentiss nodded her head weakly.

"What happened to Reid too?"

"Everything," she said quietly. "The media only has one of the tapes though. They only have the one when you first get there. They don't have you waking up or anything. The rest is of two other victims. Theirs is pretty graphic."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say Morgan? Oh, by the way, as you're resting up, there is a disturbing video tape out there of you getting beaten?" Prentiss shut her mouth. She couldn't believe she just said that. She didn't mean for it to come out harsh sounding. She was tired.

"Just don't tell Reid," Morgan said after a moment of silence. "It's too much like the Henkle case. He won't want everyone else seeing his…what he went through," Morgan finished.

"I know," she said. "I need to go check on him. He's probably wondering what happened to us. You should probably take a nap. You look exhausted."

Morgan nodded, and settled back down in the bed. Prentiss turned off the television, and closed the curtains so it would be darker in the room. Morgan really needed to rest.

"Keep a close eye on him," Morgan said as he laid his head on the pillow.

"Why? Is he getting sick again?" Prentiss asked quickly.

"The doctor wanted to give him more pain medication," Morgan said. "He didn't object to it."

* * *

Jude waited outside the hospital with Nikki at his side. He wasn't going to let her leave. That man who talked to them earlier did make him nervous, but it didn't make him go away. He just circled around the hospital, and watched the older man disappear behind some trees. He was having Ashley watch the hotel where two of the agents were resting up. She texted him as soon as they left the building, and he felt his heart rate speed up when they went in the hospital. Ashley joined them, but it took forever for anything to happen, but Jude wasn't going to leave.

"Can we go Jude? It's really hot out here. I feel sick," Nikki complained.

"The sun is starting to go down so shut up you cunt," he warned her.

"Look!" Ashley exclaimed. "They're coming out. That bitch is there!"

Jude grabbed Nikki's hand, and dragged her to the side of the hospital. Prentiss was leaving the hospital, but she wasn't alone. She was with the chubby blonde woman. Jude didn't like her either. She was too colorful for his taste, but Prentiss was wearing all black.

"Of course she's not alone," Ashley said. "But isn't that the agent who isn't armed?"

Jude looked at the other woman up and down, but he didn't see a hidden gun anywhere. He knew that Prentiss had a gun hidden on her side, but she would be easy to take down. She was skinnier than he remembered.

"She's not armed," Jude said.

"You guys, seriously, this is really creepy," Nikki whispered. "These are federal agents!"

"Come on," Jude said standing up. "If you say a single word, I'll slit your throat," he told Nikki. He flashed the knife he was holding, and she kept her mouth shut. He wasn't afraid to use it, and women needed to learn their place. No woman, working for the government or not, was going to tell him what to do with his life. They needed to die for even thinking about taking a man's job. Jude needed to put her in her place. He wouldn't mind teaching Agent Garcia a thing or two either. He really hated the bright assemble she was wearing.

"Text the others," Jude told Ashley. "We're going to attack tonight."

"Before they get to the hotel?" Ashley asked.

"We'll let the whore shower first. I don't think the other guys would like to touch a girl who smells bad," Jude said. "She'll probably want to go back to the hospital tonight. Ashley, you're goin be ready with the distraction?"

"Yep, all ready. I can cry on command," she said proudly.

Jude followed behind the two agents at a safe distance, and noted that neither one of them turned around. They didn't suspect anything. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it was nothing important. Girls never had anything important to say. They were all trash.

"Tell them to meet us at the hotel," Jude said."Half an hour. They won't be there too long with their wounded still in the hospital."

"What are they talking about?" Nikki asked when they were closer to the hotel. The two bitches were talking about something, but he couldn't hear a single word. Women never shut up.

"Probably about periods or tampons or something," Jude muttered. He didn't care what they were saying. He really didn't. Once he got rid of the FBI bitch, the government would stop planting lies in the public. The truth needed to come out. Someone was going to pay.

* * *

Garcia was scared to death. She knew that a bunch of teenagers were following them since they left the hospital. She glued herself to Emily's side, but what could Emily really do if these people had guns? Garcia didn't have a gun. She didn't know how to fight.

"Emily," she urgently whispered. "There are people following us."

"I know," Emily said calmly. "Can you tell who they are without looking?"

"No," Garcia said. She wanted to look back at them, but she knew that would be drawing attention to herself. She needed to be calm like Emily. How in the world could Emily be so calm when a bunch of freakazoids were stalking them?

"Don't look at them. Just keep looking straight ahead."

"But we need to tell Hotch or call the police or something. What if they have guns? I don't have a gun, and I think there's more of them than us!"

"If they had a gun, they would have shot us by now. We will tell Hotch once we're in the hotel. Don't get your phone out now," Emily instructed.

"Okay, okay," Garcia said. She hated the feeling of being followed. She could tell that it was at least two teenagers, and they were keeping on their tails. She nearly ran in the hotel the second it came in view, but Emily cleared her throat to remind Garcia not to flip out. Garcia bit her tongue to keep from talking while they walked to the elevators of the hotel. She noticed that Emily kept looking around to see if they were being followed, but it looked like the teens stayed outside. Garcia got the key out of her pocket with shaky hands, and locked the door behind her once they were both inside.

Emily walked over to the window, and with profound skill, she looked out it without moving the curtain much. Garcia kept her back on the door to catch her breath. She was still scared, but the familiarity of the hotel room was calming her down.

"They're still out. I can see that guy from the station," Emily said. "I knew it was him! He's with other people. I can't see their faces."

"I'll call Hotch," Garcia volunteered finally walking away from the door. "You need to take a shower Emily. You're not looking too good."

"I'm calling Hotch now," Emily said pulling out her phone. Garcia snatched it away, and smiled.

"Take a shower girl, seriously. That's why you're here," Garcia said. "I promise I'll call Hotch, but you need to take a nap or you'll fall over."

Emily looked like she wanted to argue more, but she gave up. She looked out once last time before she went into one of the bedrooms. Garcia peaked out the window, but she didn't have the same skill that Emily had. She couldn't see anything without moving the curtains, but that would get her seen. Garcia flopped down on the couch, and turned a cartoon on the television. She wasn't going to make the same mistake as last time. She waited until she heard the shower running for a few minutes before she made that phone call.

"Hotch," he said answering the phone.

"Hey Hotch," she said smiling so her voice would sound pleasant.

"Is everything alright over there?"

"Emily is in the shower. I'll make sure that she goes to bed right after, but a bunch of creepy teenagers were following us the whole way. Emily recognized one of them as being the jerk she met at the station. There's more than him, but we can't see anyone else's face."

"Don't leave the hotel until I tell you to," Hotch said. "I'll call in a few hours."

"Don't worry Hotch-man, I won't."

"Just make sure she rests," Garcia heard Rossi say in the background. "I don't know why she wanted to sleep in the floor. I kept offering her my chair, but she never would take it."

Garcia heard Hotch hang up the phone, and she set hers down on the table so she would hear it if it buzzed. She missed her sexy phone calls to Morgan. She took for granted hearing his voice or play-flirting with him during a super dangerous case. She wanted her boys back. She turned on her laptop, and went searching through her folders for pictures. She was going to get a bunch of pictures printed up, framed, and put by the bedside of Morgan and Reid. They needed something to remind them of happier times. There wasn't much to look at in a hospital room other than their new fluffy friends or the cards, but they needed memories too. They needed to remember that they would never be alone.

She made up a huge list of photos, and was trying to narrow it down when she heard the shower go off. She waited to hear anything from the next room, but Emily stayed quiet. Garcia found an adorable photo of Reid in his birthday hat taken a few years ago. Morgan and Reid were laughing, and Garcia saw Gideon smiling behind them. She missed Gideon too. She saved the picture, but Emily still never spoke up. Garcia set her laptop down and creeped over to Emily's room. She cracked the door open, and saw Emily was fast asleep in her bed. She got further than J.J. had. She actually made it under the covers. Her towel was a mess on the floor, and Garcia wasn't convinced that she was actually dressed, but she was in the bed. Garcia picked the towel up off the floor, and snuck back out of the room. Emily was already breathing heavy in her sleep.

Garcia sat back down on the couch, and saved a few more of the photos to get developed later. She went into her own room, and peaked back out the window. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a girl just like the one she meant in the hospital. Garcia recognized the girl's pretty hair, but it was gone in a flash behind a tree. Why was the girl doing this? What was her name again? Cassandra? Garcia settled down in her bed for a quick nap while Emily slept, but she couldn't get the young girl out of her mind. Why would Cassandra do something like this? She seemed like a sweet girl at the hospital. Maybe the mean guy from the station was putting her up to this or something. Garcia refused to believe that Cassandra was just a bad person.

_poor Nikki. shes just an idiot. its not her fault. she probably should stop hanging with jude and go 2 school...im just a dork. dont mind me. but thank all of u 4 the well wishes for my poor little dog who drown in the pool. i lost my friend in late feb but it still seems like yesterday. its horrible =( i was the one who found him floating. dont think ill ever get over it. but anyways, thank u soo much 4 the reviews. i live 4 reviews. dont forget 2 check out my other story as well xoxo_


	51. Chapter 51

_hey guys! super sorry for being like gone for like ever. im not dead haha. um i love all of u lots and lots and lots but ive been kinda busy. ive been going to LA a lot so keep ur fingers crossed. as soon as i get an audition 4 sumthin, ill let u guys know so u can wish me luck. wudnt b exciting if i finally get cast? yay! i think its just around the corner. anyways, on with Harold's story. harolds is n chapter, yay. i think. markus isnt tho. poor markus. i kinda needed 2 give something 4 harold 2 do so u guys can tell me ur thoughts on harolds lil action plan. i love how he just remembers this 2. its like harold 4get somethng thats not poor reid. and prentiss finally gets attacked and mr reid finds out about nikki. yay. read now xoxo =)_

Harold sat patiently in his cell. He knew that the agents were somewhere in the building, and that they were taking their sweet time to visit him. He loved visitors. He hardly got anyone lately that did not want to discuss why he was behind bars. There were so many more interesting topics than just that. He wanted to know how the dear doctor was fairing. No one kept him updated on the agent's health, and he just hated that. He had a right to know how his most beloved guest was doing. Was he walking again? Was he even awake? Harold was sure that the doctor missed him. Agent Reid was in Harold's dreams every night. Harold put a finger to his lips and tried to imagine Reid's sweet breath against his own skin. He regretted not putting more kisses across Reid's body. The boy needed as many kisses as he could get. It would be wonderful to be able to able to speak to Reid again. There were so many things that they still needed to do together. He was hoping against hope that Reid was with the agents this evening. His mind told him that his young friend still had much healing to do before he could even stand on his feet again, but he couldn't help but cross his fingers that the boy wanted to see him. They had been through so much together. That was a fact. No matter what the kid's friends told him or how many special doctors he would have to talk to, Harold would always be a part of his life. Harold had claimed him, body and soul, and that would never change.

A silence swept through the back rooms of the prison. The agents were close. Harold slicked back his hair, and tried straightening up the filth he was forced to wear. They were probably talking to one of the prison cops in the back hallway. He needed to make some kind of deal with them if he wanted see his friend again. What did he have they wanted? He could give the pale one something to help with his rough skin, but he highly doubted that Hotchner would use it. He only saw the leader of Reid's team a few times, and every time that they met, he just wanted to assure Harold that he was a monster. Harold knew that this was not true, but he let the man say whatever he wanted. Karma would repay that agent for hurting him. Hotchner thought that he knew everything about Harold. He thought that he figured out the way that Harold worked, and he was positive with all of his profiling that he would be able to predict Harold's actions. Hotchner did not know a single thing about Harold. He didn't know that Harold hated peas, wasn't fond of scary movies, or that he had been killing long before he started the tapes.

"Agents, it's rather warm in here," Harold said loudly. He knew they were there. He could smell their pathetic colognes. Just as he predicted, he heard their footsteps moments after he spoke. He didn't turn to face them when they stopped in front of his cell. He could ignore them just as well as they ignored him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that it was Hotchner and Rossi. It was never Reid.

"Your trial starts tomorrow," Rossi said.

"I do believe that someone mentioned that to me before," Harold replied.

"What did you want to tell us?" Hotchner asked rudely.

"My, my, always directly to the point," Harold commented. He turned slowly to face them, and offered them a smile that he never got in return. "Tell me, how are you doing?"

"We're leaving," Hotchner said abruptly.

"It is so terribly boring here in solitary confinement. I haven't spoken to any normal human beings in so long. I do not know yet if I consider you two to be normal, but you certainly have more manners than anyone else in this building." Harold stood up, and he watched how both of the agents stood their ground. He wondered if they would be acting that brave if there wasn't a gate of bars separating them. He walked up to them, and took a moment to take in their separate smells. Neither was to his liking. He missed Reid's smell.

"What did you want to tell us?" Hotchner asked again.

"I want to make a deal," Harold began.

"No deals," Hotchner said firmly.

"I assume that both of you would be interested to know the fates of the two missing children from Walnut Park?" Harold gleamed when both of their eyes lit up with recognition. Harold had been watching the reports on the missing children for months. He never meant to take them, and they never would have left their town if they hadn't been playing horrible pranks on Harold while he went to a museum there. They were little brats, but it was impossible to tell the twin boys apart. He was sure that one was the ringmaster, but since he couldn't tell which one it was, he took both of the boys as soon as they were alone. It was much easier to kidnap children, but he never laid a finger on them. He just wanted to teach them a lesson.

Agent Rossi took a step back, and pulled out his phone.

"The children are indeed still missing," Harold told him. "Two boys, young teenagers I believe…Identical twins with brown hair and brown eyes. They were wearing striped shirts when they disappeared four months ago."

"You have the boys?" Hotchner asked.

"There is so much about me that you still have to learn Agent Hotchner. I do wish that we could chat longer, but I do believe you have someplace you must be. You've been trying to get there since you first saw me." Harold winked at him, and sat back down on his bench. He was going to see Reid again. He left the boys with a plate of food the last time he saw them, but he was sure they were hungry by now. He had nothing against those kids. They just needed to learn to respect their elders, and while they had grown quiet during their stay with him, he wasn't finished teaching them how to act like gentlemen.

Hotchner looked back at Rossi, and for the first time since Harold met him, Hotchner looked like he was actually surprised. Harold had been wondering for a long time what those agents put in his profile. He was not against kidnapping children. He didn't want to hurt them, but they needed to learn. He was proud to admit to himself that he never touched the boys in a sexual way. He loved his dear doctor. He didn't need the boys.

"I believe you want me to say more about the twins. Am I correct Agent Hotchner?" Harold turned to face the agents, but he didn't get up.

"What do you want?" Hotchner asked.

"I just want to see Agent Reid again. That is all. The visit may be supervised, but I want to be in the same room with him. I want to see his silky hair and his big eyes," Harold said.

"No deal," Hotchner said quickly.

"Oh, what a shame!" Harold complained. "I do wonder how long those boys can go without eating. I didn't leave them with much food last time I saw them." Harold loved being in control. He loved watching the agents squirm, and that he finally had something they wanted.

"We will find those boys," Hotchner threatened. He stormed out of the hallway before Harold could say another word. Rossi was on his tail. Harold was left by himself again, but it was getting late. He probably needed to prepare himself for the court in the morning. He didn't want to look like a mess. He needed to look his best.

* * *

Jude waited outside while the sun went down. He tried to keep a distance away from the girls. He didn't really want to be breathing the same air as them. He hated girls. He hated everything about them. Jude never knew his own mother. He was raised by his father, and his father was a great man. He did everything he could to make sure that Jude grew up good and proper. Jude would still be with his dad if it wasn't for that bitch cop. When Jude's dad was out of work, he got into a habit of taking things that didn't really belong to him. While that was a crime, he didn't get into serious trouble until some prostitute called the cops when his dad beat her. That slut deserved what she got. His poor dad was arrested that night when Jude was still in high school. Jude ran away to prevent from getting placed in a foster home, but he never saw his dad again.

Jude was used to living on the streets. He didn't have much education, but he didn't need it where he lived. He spent a lot of time at the library reading books, and he was able to teach himself about the world. He taught other lost teenagers about what he knew, and it wasn't long before he had a little following. He didn't consider his group of friends a cult. They never discussed religion. Jude felt that God abandoned him a long time ago when his mother chose to run off with a boyfriend. He remembered the years that he suffered a child when he kept praying to God that his mom would come back. He would keep himself up at night, but he always woke up alone. His dad helped him as much as he could, but Jude had to grow up alone. Jude didn't remember the day when he realized his mother was never coming back. He didn't remember the day that he hated the female sex in general or the day when he suddenly stopped trusting the government. He just remembered when his heart finally tore in two. He was still a little boy, and he wandered to the park while his dad was "shopping". He got on one of the swings, and that's when he saw a boy just his age swinging next to him, but the other boy wasn't alone. His mother was pushing him so his swing got higher than Jude's could. Jude didn't cry. He wasn't going to make everyone stare at him. He wasn't a baby anymore. He left the park, and went to cry behind one of the dumpsters. He wanted his so-called mother to burn in hell for eternity.

Jude snapped himself back into reality when more members of his group showed up. He saw the crowbar that they were going to use on the agent, and he felt his heart pound from impatience. He wanted to do it now. He looked up at the hotel windows, but he didn't know which one the agents were in. The others were making themselves comfortable on the ground, but he stayed on his feet. He hated the women up there. They could hide from Jude, but they had to come out sooner or later. Agent Prentiss did resemble his mother in many ways. They had the same build and dark hair, but Jude pushed this to the back of his mind. He was not going to go around comparing other bitches to the one that gave birth to him.

He wrapped his fingers around the knife he was holding, but he needed to watch what he did when the bitch finally came out. He wasn't fully convinced that their plan would go as it was planned. He didn't want to be part of the attack until the women were sedated or dead in the car. Jude was going to get his message out to the world. People were going to learn the truth. Jude didn't mind shedding the blood of women to get his message across. People were going to listen to him one way or the other.

"When are they coming out?" one of the guys complained. "It's an oven out here man."

"It will be pretty obvious when they come out. You'll see them," Jude said.

"And I'll distract them," Ashley said proudly. "How will you make sure the blonde doesn't go running away to get help?"

"If she does, it gives us more time to get rid of Agent Prentiss. I actually prefer that she runs. It won't take long to get that bitch in the car. Just make sure to get her gun as soon as you knock her down," Jude instructed. "The gun is her only source of power."

* * *

"We, my husband and I, have a very long day tomorrow so we would appreciate it if all of you left our property," Olivia told the reporters and cameramen.

"Did you really abuse your son?" one reporter called out.

"Were their bruises all over his legs so he couldn't attend a normal school?"

"Was it you that pushed Harold's brother down the stairs to an early death?"

"Do you think it was your sexual abuse that led to your son raping all of his victims?" a snobby woman asked Olivia's husband.

"What?" Olivia shouted at her. "We never touched our son, and Michael's death was a tragic accident. I would thank you not to bring it up again."

"Was Harold already kidnapping his victims while you still lived with him?"

"It it true that you helped him with the torture?"

Olivia couldn't believe this. She couldn't believe any of it. This had to be some kind of horrible nightmare that she was going to wake up from soon enough. Michael was a good boy, and Harold is an obedient son. She didn't like anyone making fun of her children. If the media wanted to pick on someone, they should go poking around the lives of the messed up federal agents that started this whole mess.

"You should be looking into the history of Agent Reid," Olivia blurted out. She wanted to save this information that she learned for later, but she needed the reporters to back away from her front gates. "His father left their family when he was just a kid, and his mother was locked away because she hears voices in her head! Harold was raised with both of his parents, and there's no record of mental illness in this family."

"Where did you learn this?" one of the reporters asked.

"From reliable sources. You should go get it checked out yourself," Olivia said proudly. "Now, you must excuse us. We need to visit our son to make sure that he is well prepared for his big day tomorrow."

Olivia smiled to herself as the reporters departed from her property. She was sure that they were going to do their own research on the agents, but she didn't care. She led the way back to one of the garages, and powdered her face while the driver prepared the car. She needed to look sharp if she needed to assure her son that he would leave jail soon.

"You probably shouldn't have mentioned the agents," Victor said.

"Why not? You like them picking on our sons because I certainly don't. They said that you were a molester. Do you like that?"

"Of course not…"Victor said.

"They stopped talking about our family as soon as I mentioned the mental illness in the Reid family. Didn't they?"

"Olivia," Victor said finally moving closer to her. "Did you see the pictures of the agents? I saw pictures of them at the hospital. Something happened to those men. I don't know what. I don't know if Harold really did those things that people are accusing him of, but something bad happened. They did find those men in that house."

"What are you saying Victor?" Olivia asked sharply."Are you saying our son is a blood thirsty murderer who likes to slit throats in the house he was raised in?"

"That's not what I'm saying," he said slowly.

"Then what are you saying because I'm not completely understanding it," Olivia demanded. She didn't have time to deal with this idiot. If he didn't believe their son was innocent, how in the world could they convince the world he was?

"I'm just saying that we need to keep an open mind. I haven't seen any evidence that our son didn't do those crimes. It looks like everything is pointing at him."

"Then keep your fat mouth shut!" Olivia whispered in his ear. "We need to have a good face for Harold. Got it? Imagine how scared he is in that horrible jail. He needs us."

"I know honey," Victor said.

"Then get in the car," Olivia commanded. "And don't say a word."

* * *

J.J. wasn't worried about Reid until Morgan mentioned the pain medication to Prentiss. Reid had been denying all extra medication since he woke up. Something was wrong. Reid had a bad habit of keeping everything to himself. He didn't want to talk to them about what happened when he spent all those days with Henkle. In fact, he never mentioned it again to J.J. It was like that never happened. J.J. couldn't help herself but talk to anyone who would listen about her feelings, but Reid allowed himself to get further away from the team. What would have happened to him if they didn't find out about his drug addiction? Reid was a genius, but it seemed like so many geniuses were lost in a dark world of drugs and alcohol. Reid wasn't immune to that.

She pulled up a chair next to Reid's bed, and watched her younger friend sleep. He needed to get out of that state. She knew that this trial was going to be huge, major news stations were already making their predictions, but Reid wasn't going to get better with all of that going on around him. She lightly touched Reid's hand. He wasn't going to overdose or anything while in the hospital, but she needed to make sure that Reid wasn't going to turn back to drugs the first second he is on his own again. She didn't want Reid to have to be alone anymore.

She was alarmed when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She was lost in her own thoughts, and she hated being snapped back into reality. She removed her hand from Reid's, and stepped out in the hallway so she could talk without disturbing his sleep.

"J.J.," she said into the phone.

"Hey, it's Rossi," the older man said.

"Hey, aren't you talking to Harold?" J.J. asked.

"Do you remember reading or hearing anything about two missing boys from Walnut Park?"

"Not of the top of my head," she said honestly. She couldn't remember much other than the case they were dealing with now. She couldn't wait to go back home. She didn't even want to stay for the trial. She didn't know what Hotch was planning, but she wanted on the first plane home.

"Could you find out anything about them for us? Garcia is still with Prentiss, and I don't want to wake them up."

"What about the boys?" J.J. couldn't figure out why Rossi was calling about missing children.

"Harold just told us that he know where they are."

"What?" J.J. nearly shouted in the phone. "Harold didn't kidnap children."

"He was telling us details about the boys just a few minutes ago," Rossi told her.

"Why would he say anything?"

"He wants to see Reid again," Rossi said. J.J. peaked back in the room at Reid, and she was happy to see that he was still fast asleep. She needed to talk quieter. "Hotch isn't going to let that happen, but we need to find those kids."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," J.J. promised.

"Harold said that they were younger teenagers with brown hair and brown eyes. He didn't mention their names, but I guess they're identical twins which should narrow it down."

"Got it," J.J. said. "Are you guys coming back here?"

"We're getting ready to meet Prentiss' fan club," Rossi said. J.J. could almost see him smiling on the other end.

"Sounds like a fun night," J.J. joked. J.J. didn't like the idea of a bunch of crazy kids stalking Prentiss around, but they were getting themselves in deep trouble. J.J. just wished she was there when Hotch and Rossi appeared out of nowhere to arrest the teens for even thinking about hurting Prentiss. Nothing bad was going to happen to Garcia or Prentiss. They really were a brilliant team, and they always protected one another which was why they were all devastated to find Morgan and Reid missing. J.J. had to keep reminding herself that it was all over. Both of her boys were safe, and they were never going to see Harold again.

"We'll be there in a few hours. How are Reid and Morgan doing?"

"Both of them were asleep before Prentiss even left. They're sleeping alright," J.J. said.

"Good," Rossi said. "Keep an eye on them."

J.J. heard the phone click off, and she returned hers to her pocket. He didn't mention the trial, and he didn't mention anything else that Harold told them. She was still having trouble believing that Harold kidnapped two kids. Susan's son was in the house when she went missing, but Susan was the target, not her son. She was going to have to have the police thoroughly search the house. They tore apart the toy room, Harold's bedroom, and that room that was prison to some of her closest friends, but the rest of the house was untouched. It was such a large house, and it was believed that Harold kept his victims in those three rooms upstairs. None of them thought that he could have had another room. It was probably on the tapes, but that would take too long to watch. If the boys were locked in another secret room without much food, they didn't have much time left. She wasn't going to let anyone else die in that damned house. As soon as those kids were safe, she was going to personally stand by and order its destruction.

She started searching through her files to find the case of the missing twins, but she was having a harder time. She was well rested, but the hospital wasn't the best place to look through her things. She stood up to retreat to the quietness in Reid's room when one of his nurses spotted her.

"Is Agent Reid sleeping?"

"Yeah, he is," J.J. said. She didn't really have time to talk to the nurse. The faster she found out about the twins, the faster she could help them get home.

"How long has he been sleeping?" she asked.

"I don't know, not long," J.J. replied.

"His doctor wanted to finish up the stitches and give him a sponge bath later tonight. The best time for that would be when he is sleeping," she explained.

"Wouldn't he wake up?" J.J. asked. She would wake up the second someone moved her around.

"We would be able to keep him asleep, but it wouldn't be the best idea to give him a bath when he's awake. He's not ready for that, but we need to keep him clean. He can't do that himself with the condition he's in," she said kindly.

"Would it be alright if I stayed nearby?" J.J. asked. "I wouldn't have to be like right there or anything, but I could be in the same room. I wouldn't watch or anything." She understood that Reid would still be asleep, but she still owed him privacy. She was the one who found him in that room and that image would haunt her for the rest of her life. She was glad that Reid didn't really remember that night. She just wished she could forget too.

"Of course," the nurse said smiling. "Would now be a good time?"

"Yeah," J.J. said.

"I'll go find the doctor," the nurse said.

J.J. went back in Reid's room, and sat down on the chair. Reid was still fast asleep. She knew that he did need a bath, but she hated to have to move him anywhere. It seemed rare when he didn't suffer from nightmares in his sleep, and she wanted to savor the moment. She needed to check on Morgan as well, but she would have to do that after the bath. She barely heard the nurses when they came in his room. She watched them put something else in his IV before they started undoing several cords to allow Reid's bed out of the room. J.J. stood up so she wouldn't be in their way, but she hated seeing her friend like that. She knew that he was doing better, but it was still one of the hardest things in her life to see her friends suffer.

* * *

William Reid hurried to the store to grab a few things so he wouldn't fall over when he talked to the agents. They needed to know about the crazy kids who were hanging around the hospital. He didn't know what they were planning to do, but it couldn't be anything good. He threw a few water bottles and chips into his cart, and went to the fastest line he saw. Even in the shortest line, he still had a wait ahead of him. He looked around anxiously, and debated against just leaving the store without any of his food. He hadn't eaten anything that day, and he had a strong headache from the heat. He did need the food.

When the woman ahead of him finally reached the cashier, she accidently dropped her wallet on the ground while she was unloading her groceries. William picked it up to hand it to her when he noticed a picture of Cassandra in it. This was the girl that he met earlier. He looked at the woman as he handed the wallet back to her. The woman looked like Cassandra. This was the girl's mother. He looked at what she was buying, and was a bit disappointed to see the mother was buying alcohol.

"Is that your daughter?" William asked.

"Yes," the woman said.

"She's beautiful. What's her name?"

"Nikki. I named her after my mother," the woman replied.

He knew the girl was lying about her name. He was sure that the agents would just love to talk to one of the teen's mothers. She would be able to find out where her daughter was. He just needed to find a good way to bring up the activities her daughter was involved in that evening.

"I have a son," William told her. "He's nothing like me."

"Well, are children ever like their parents?" the woman asked.

"I'm William," he said extended his hand. She looked him up and down, but took his hand to shake.

"Carrie," she said.

"My son is actually in the hospital right now," William continued. "I think I saw your daughter with some guy friends outside the building." He was trying as hard as he could to not come off as a pedophile who really liked Carrie's daughter.

"Damn, she's still with them?"

"Who are they?" William quickly asked. "One of them looked quite a bit older than her, and if you ask me, he didn't look too friendly."

"They hang around the house. I don't like them," Carrie said. "I told her to stop talking to them, but she just sneaks out to be with them. I gave up trying. It's her life."

This woman would never win the "mother of the year" prize, but William wasn't the best parent either. Her daughter was about to do something very stupid, and William couldn't find an easy way to tell her. He talked in a quieter voice so the people around them wouldn't hear.

"Ma'am, your daughter and her friends are planning to do something bad tonight. Could you please follow me to the police station?"

"Why? What's this about?"

"Do you know those agents that are in town right now? I think they are going to try to hurt one of them," he said slowly.

"Why in the world would they do that?" Carrie asked.

"I don't know, but your daughter looked scared. I know the agents. Would you mind talking them just for a minute?"

Carrie paid for her drinks, and waited by the door for William to finish buying his food. The cashier couldn't go more slowly if she tried, but Carrie was still by the exit when William got there.

"I'll follow you," Carrie told him. "I don't want my daughter hanging around those kids anymore."

William smiled at her. They went to their separate cars, and William pulled out his cell to call one of the agents. He had Agent Hotchner on speed dial, and he put the phone to his ear as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Hotchner," a familiar voice said.

"Hello agent," William said. "This is Mr. Reid, Spencer's father. I have a woman coming with me to the station that you might want to meet."

"Who is it?" Hotch asked.

"I talked to a weird group of teens earlier that were hanging around outside the hospital. I think they want to hurt one of your agents," William explained.

"Yes, we are aware of the situation. We are actually going to meet the teens now," he said.

"The woman is the mother of one of the girls. She wants to help. The girl told me her name is Cassandra, but she is really named Nikki," William said.

"Nikki?" Hotchner asked. "Thanks. We'll be at the station again in about an hour."

"Sounds good," William said. He couldn't believe that he was actually helping them. Carrie was still trailing his car, and they had about 10 more minutes before they got to the station. He hoped the agents were going to be able to stop Nikki before she did something she would regret.

* * *

Prentiss felt rested after her nap, and she couldn't get wait to get outside to see those kids. They were still waiting for her. She saw them moving in the bushes. She put her hair back in a ponytail, and but her gun back in its holster. She wasn't planning on using it though. No matter how dangerous these kids were, she didn't want to go shooting a teenager. She had to leave with Garcia, and she hated that plan. She knew that it would look suspicious if she left herself, but she didn't want anyone to hurt her friend.

"We can't leave until boss-man says so," Garcia said. Prentiss sat back down, but she was restless. She wanted to get this over with.

"I know," Prentiss said.

"You're making Timothy nervous," Garcia complained. She lifted the little dog on the couch, and smothered him with Garcia kisses. The dog wagged his tail, and looked happily at his two new friends. Prentiss had to admit that she liked that dog. He slept with her while she was napping, and he never once made a noise to wake her up.

"He is a cute little guy, isn't he?" Prentiss asked.

"I think I'm in love with him," Garcia said. The dog barked happily at her, and she teased him with a ball she found in her bottomless purse.

"Are you planning on keeping him?"

"I think so," she replied. "It's not his fault that his last owner as a big meanie. That didn't stop him from being so freakin sweet."

Prentiss laughed, and reached out to pet the dog. The dog did help calm her nerves. He didn't know who they were, but he loved them all the same because they fed him. All animals really wanted was love and food. Prentiss loved dogs.

"So we're going to be walking, the kids jump out of the bushes, and Rossi and Hotch surprise them before they do anything?" Garcia asked.

"That's the plan," Prentiss agreed. "If something does go wrong, get out of there. Okay? Go find Hotch and Rossi."

"Nothing will go wrong silly," Garcia said. Prentiss nodded, and tried to relax. She had just found a comfortable spot when her phone buzzed. She instantly sat up and looked over at Garcia.

"Prentiss," she told her phone.

"Yeah, I'm ready Hotch," she said. Garcia stood up, and put a colorful bag around her shoulder. She looked nervous. Prentiss wished she didn't have to put Garcia through this, but Garcia was right. Nothing would go wrong. "Okay, we're leaving now." Prentiss stood up, and felt for her gun again. She didn't know why she was nervous. It just wasn't often that she was walking into an ambush. She knew that Rossi and Hotch were waiting though. She trusted them not to let anything happen to her.

"I'll be back soon Timothy," Garcia told the dog. The dog looked disappointed when they closed the door, but he had plenty of food and water.

"Stay by me," Prentiss told Garcia as they left the safety of the hotel room. "I'll walk on the side near the bushes."

"Hotch and Rossi are already outside?" she asked.

"They'll be there in a few minutes. If those kids do attack, they won't do it till we're at the park so we have a little walk."

Prentiss held her breath when the hot air hit her skin, but she tried to act as calm as possible. She walked by the bushes with her head held high, and relaxed into the sound of Garcia's voice. She didn't see any of the kids moving around, but she did hear the bushes. They were following her. It looked like Garcia knew they were too, but they didn't talk about it. Garcia was going through a hundred topics at a time. It would be impossible for Prentiss to keep up even if she tried, but she wasn't really listening. She was trying to keep track of where the kids were.

"I got a text from J.J.," Prentiss heard her say.

"A text?" Prentiss asked.

"She knew you were sleeping, and she didn't want to wake you up."

"What did she say?"

The park was abandoned in front of them. Some of the overhead lights were out, and a few swings were moving on their own with help from the hot breeze. If it had been colder, it would have been a perfect set for a horror movie. Prentiss didn't see Hotch or Rossi anywhere.

"I guess Harold told everyone that he knows where some missing kids are."

"He doesn't abduct kids," Prentiss said quietly. Where was Hotch?

"Yeah, they didn't understand it so J.J. looked into it. She doesn't have my same super skill, but she did find reports about two missing boys from the next town. They've been missing for months now, but Harold was able to describe them and what they were wearing when they went missing and I guess he was right."

"Does Hotch think they're in that house?"

Prentiss heard a twig crack beside her, and she stopped walking. She put her body partially in front of Garcia's out of instinct. Hotch and Rossi were probably waiting already.

"Walk ahead of me," Prentiss instructed Garcia. If Prentiss was their target, they weren't going to hurt Garcia unless she was in the way. Garcia did as she was told, and walked a few steps ahead. Prentiss waited to see if anything would happen, but all was quiet. She held her pose for a few seconds, but then continued to walk towards Garcia.

It happened suddenly. She didn't even see it coming. She heard loud footsteps behind her, but before she could turn around, something hit her hard on the back of the head.

* * *

Garcia was scared to death. She never liked walking in the dark, and they couldn't have asked for a creepier park. She kept expecting to see the little girls from _The Shining_ beckoning for her to go play with them. If she saw anything walking around in a pale blue dress, she was out of there. Garcia barely even knew what she was talking about until Emily actually started to respond. Garcia was eager to look up more information about the missing twins, but she wanted to work her magic inside. She hated being on the lookout for psychopathic little girls.

"Does Hotch think they're in that house?" Emily asked.

"J.J. didn't go into that much detail over the text message," Garcia said. She took another step, but saw that one of Emily's arms was blocking her. Garcia looked around, but she didn't notice anything different. She knew that the crazy kids were around, but she couldn't see them.

"Walk ahead of me," Emily told her. Emily lowered her arm, and Garcia willed her wobbly legs to obey. She walked ahead a few steps, but she wasn't going to leave Emily. Emily stayed in her place for a few seconds, but she eventually started walking to Garcia. Garcia waited for her when she noticed some huge guy come out of nowhere. He had some kind of bar in his arms, and he slammed it down on Emily's head. Several kids came out of the bushes behind him. Emily didn't even have a chance to grab her gun. Garcia knew that she needed to find Hotch, but she couldn't leave Emily alone. She walked forward to try to help when she saw that one of the kids had Emily's gun. All of them were laughing like it was some kind of game, and she saw that Emily was fighting them from underneath all of them.

"Get off me now!" Emily yelled out.

"Bang her on the head again," Garcia heard one of the kids shout. "She's still awake!"

"Hey, I touched her boob!" a boy shouted.

"FBI!"

Garcia turned around, and saw Rossi and Hotch coming out from behind another tree. Were they there the entire time? All of the kids basically froze in their place. They looked up, and saw that two agents were pointing their guns at them. The only kid that was standing dropped Emily's gun to the ground.

"Everyone, on your knees!" Hotch commanded.

As soon as a few kids got off her, Emily pushed herself back to her feet. Her face was smudged with black dirt, and she had blood coming out from her nose, but she looked alright other than that. Garcia hurried over to her, and frantically looked for a tissue in her purse. Rossi stood behind Hotch, and watched Garcia hug tightly onto Emily. She wasn't supposed to get hurt.

"Sorry we're late," Rossi told them. "These kids had a distraction for us. They had some girl crying. She tried to prevent us from getting here."

"Was it Cassandra?" Garcia asked. She didn't see Cassandra in the lineup of kids on the ground.

"That one guy from the station isn't here either," Emily said.

"No, it was another girl. Mr. Reid called us earlier though. He had that girl's mother at the police station. Her real name is Nikki. Mr. Reid saw them outside the hospital," Rossi said.

"The police will be here shortly," Hotch told the kids on the ground.

"She kicked me," one of the kids complained. "That cunt you have working for you kicked me in the groin. You bitch!" he called out to Emily.

"If I were you, I'd keep me mouth shut," Hotch threatened.

"Do you think she was here somewhere?" Garcia asked Rossi.

"I'm sure she was, and so was that guy that Prentiss was talking to," Rossi said. He pulled a picture out of his pocket, and handed it over to Emily. "We got that guy's picture. We got his little groupies so he's not going anywhere," Rossi said with confidence. Rossi stepped back to help Hotch control the teens until the cops got there.

"Are you okay Emily?" Garcia asked. Her nose was still bleeding, and Garcia failed at finding any kind of tissue.

"I'll be better once we're back in the hospital. The trial is tomorrow. We need to be with the guys and finding those missing boys if Harold really has them."

* * *

J.J. made sure to look away while they cleaned Reid up, and worked on some of his more personal stitches. Reid was a very sensitive person, and she was still afraid that he was going to wake up at any second. They had him facing away from her, and several nurses were working to get him done quickly. She liked it that they were cleaning his hair, and making sure he wasn't too uncomfortable for being in a bed for so long. She wished that he would be able to walk soon like Morgan could, but he was stabbed pretty badly in one of his legs. It might be a while before he could even stand up again.

She kept herself busy by researching the missing boys. It was quieter while they gave Reid a sponge bath, and she was able to concentrate. It took a while, but she did find two brothers that went missing four months ago in Walnut Park. They were identical twins, but they were only 12 years old. J.J. thought she was looking for missing teenagers, but this was close enough. They were the only missing brothers she could find, and they matched the description Hotch gave her perfectly. They were adorable in the photos that their parents posted in hopes of finding them alive. J.J. hadn't called their parents yet. She didn't want to call any parents until she was positive that Harold had the boys, and if he did have them hidden away somewhere, that wasn't very good news.

She wanted to call Hotch and tell him what she found, but she had to wait until one of them called her. She knew that they would be getting ready to arrest those teens pretty soon, and they needed to focus on what was going on there. She wrote down the age of the twins, their height, weight, and names so she would be able to hand it over easily. Their names were Sean and Shane Boyd, and they did look exactly alike. The only part that disturbed her was that the boys did look like the type Harold liked. They weren't full grown yet, but she could picture what they would like in 10 years. She prayed that Harold hadn't touched them.

_dun dun dun. chapter 51. yay! so tell me what u guys think. i know the twins seem kinda random but harold wouldnt be paying much attention or thought 2 them once he got reid and morgan because all he really wanted was reid. its a good twist i think? oh, and just so theres no confusion, harold really does have the twins. ya, i just saw the social network, the last harry potter, and the simpsons night last so im kinda n the mood for twin fun haha. so ya...plz REVIEW and let me know ur opinions on what should happen. i predict a very fun future n writing =)_


	52. Chapter 52

_heya guys. dont worry about me abandoing the story becuz thats not going to happen. i was surprised when i read u guys thought that. i kinda got busy with life outside of the internet and so the story had 2 wait. i know. i hate it when stories go on a pause as well but im working my best on it. as usual, i dont know where im going with any of this. i still think harold is an awsum character 2 work with and the boys r promising. i actually have a twist n my mind going on with their fate. in my mind, the twist is awsum but we'll see if i use it or not later on so um enjoy this chapter!_

It didn't take long for the police to show up. They were already talking with the girl who was screaming at the top of her lungs to keep Hotch and Rossi away from Prentiss. Hotch had to admit that the kids did try, but Hotch wasn't going to let another member of his team get hurt. Although the suspected ring leader wasn't there, Hotch knew it was only a matter of time of catching him with Nikki. Hotch was surprised that Reid's father actually called him. Nikki's mother would certainly help put an end to this mess. Hotch wanted to go back to the hospital to check on Morgan and Reid, but he needed to go back to the station first. Hotch watched the kids getting handcuffed, but he had so much more on his mind. Harold had been telling the truth about the missing boys. A set of identical twins had gone missing several months ago from a nearby town, and they were last seen in striped shirts.

"What are you thinking?" Rossi asked in a low voice.

"Harold has two children locked away in his mini-mansion," Hotch said.

"So that would be no plan yet?"

"He said he left them with a little food, but Harold has been locked up for almost a week," Hotch said.

"We could have the entire house searched," Prentiss suggested. "Or watch those tapes? If the entire house was under surveillance, the boys would be on it somewhere."

"That would take too long. The boys don't have that much time," Hotch said.

"Do you think they are chained up like Morgan and Reid were?" Rossi asked.

"I don't know," Hotch replied. "But no one say a word about this in the hospital. I don't want Morgan or Reid overhearing. That son of a bitch isn't going to see either one of them again."

Hotch walked ahead the rest back to the SUV. He hated not having a plan. He could ignore it, and drive back to the hotel that night so he could rest with Rossi, but he couldn't do that. He couldn't just pretend to forget the information he learned. The boys probably were chained to some wall, and they were scared to death. Something had to be done.

"J.J. sent me a picture of the boys," Garcia called out. "They look exactly alike. I think I'd rather have them lost somewhere in the jungle than be in Harold's house."

"They'd have a chance in the jungle," Prentiss mumbled. "The jungle? Garcia, where in the world did you come up with the idea of the jungle? That's so random."

"I don't know," Garcia replied.

"Are we headed back to the station?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah, we can ask the police if they have any more information about the twins. I wonder if a search was done for them," Hotch said.

"When are you going back to the hotel?" Prentiss asked. "It's your turn to rest. You and Rossi are going to fall over if you don't sleep."

Hotch stopped in front of the SUV. Prentiss was right. They had been all taking turns taking naps in the hotel. He had just forgotten about Rossi and himself. He just didn't know how he would be able to sleep with so much going on. He needed to meet Nikki's mother to get that situation under control, he wanted to go back to the hospital to check on the rest of his team, and he was supposed to be find those missing boys.

"Let us meet Mr. Reid while you two take a nap," Prentiss continued. "We can start looking for the twins."

Hotch knew that his body was tired, but he hated having to take a break. He knew it was selfish to try to continue working when Rossi looked exhausted. Prentiss would be able to handle the reins for a few hours. Rossi was already backing towards the hotel.

"Alright," Hotch finally said. "Try to find out where Nikki is, and see if you can find out any more information about the boys. Find out exactly where they went missing, what kind of family they are from, and see if you can start narrowing down rooms in Harold's house that he might be keeping them. We could probably cancel out kitchens, dining rooms, and the rooms that have already been searched."

"We can handle it," Prentiss said smiling.

"Thanks," Rossi said.

"If you need anything, my phone is going to be on," Hotch said.

"We'll see you guys later," Prentiss said turning around with Garcia. Hotch followed Rossi into the hotel, but he still felt guilty for taking a much-needed break. It felt like so much was happening at once, but he knew that he wouldn't be much help if he couldn't keep his eyes open. Sleeping would be good for him.

* * *

Garcia followed Emily to the SUV, and was grateful to get out of that ultra spooky park. The car never looked more inviting. She already forwarded the picture of the twins to the rest of the team, and she was looking up the information that Hotch requested.

"You don't think that Harold was hurting the boys, do you?" Garcia asked.

"I don't know," Emily said truthfully. "He never touched Susan's son, but Harold kidnapped the boys because they needed discipline. They are older than Andy, but I don't know."

"Are you going to try to ask Harold?" Garcia asked. She pulled the seat belt over her chest, and continued with her search. The twins were visiting the museum on a field trip with their class, but they somehow got separated. They were known for playing pranks on the other kids in their school, but most boys liked jokes.

"Talking to Harold will do no good," Emily said. "He already made his demands. He wants to see Reid again, and that's not going to happen."

"Okay, well, the boys went missing on a field trip around two in the afternoon. It looks like the teacher was gathering up the kids to take them all back when she noticed the twins weren't there. They searched the museum, but they couldn't find the boys. Looks like they did alright in school, but they really liked jokes and they loved switching places."

"Surprising," Emily commented.

"They come from a middle class family. Their parents are still married, and they have one older sister who is in high school," Garcia concluded.

"So they played a harmless prank on Harold, but he didn't think it was so harmless so he abducted them. I wonder if Markus was with him. It would be easier if Markus was there to help, but Harold probably did it by himself."

"They are probably so scared," Garcia said. They were locked away without any food or water, and now they were alone. She had the small comfort of knowing that they were together, but so were Morgan and Reid.

"Harold probably was hurting them," Emily said slowly. "He doesn't know anything else. While I'm talking to Nikki's mom, do you think you could find the map of Harold's house again? We need to find those kids ASAP."

They parked in front of the police station, and pushed their way through the crowd of photographers and reporters that had no other lives than this case. Garcia got the picture of the twins off the screen so the reporters wouldn't accidently see them and start asking more questions. Emily cleaned the dried blood off her face, and brushed her hair so they would be able to get through the chaos as quickly as possible.

"Looks like Harold's parents are here," Emily said.

"How do you know that?" Garcia asked looking around. All she could see was serious looking people reporting the same news to an ugly man holding a large camera. Emily pointed towards a black car near the back of the parking lot with a man in a suit standing by it. His hair was slicked back, and he stood with perfect posture.

"Hard to miss their driver," Emily said. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'm going to be," Garcia told her. They got out of their car, and Garcia did her best to stay close to Emily. How did J.J. put up with these people? They were like wild animals, and not the good kind. Garcia always cooed at the baby animals in the zoo, but these photographers were more like that creepy badger that attacked other animals just because it could. These people were attacking her and Emily just because they could. In fact, these people even resembled the badger with their beady eyes and sharp teeth. Garcia kept her eyes on her feet.

The station was cool and inviting, and both women managed to get inside without a scratch. Emily flashed her badge to the officer at the door, and they were welcomed inside. Garcia fanned herself with her hand, and looked around at the working policemen. In a corner, she saw Reid's father sitting next to a woman about her age. The woman had the same eyes that Nikki did, but that was all the resemblance that Garcia saw. She also heard a woman's screeching voice coming from the back of the station, and Garcia figured that this was Harold's pleasant mother screaming about some kind of injustice. Garcia never met this woman personally, but she heard enough stories from the rest of her team to make her skin crawl.

"Mr. Reid is over there," Emily told her. "I'll go talk to them."

Emily walked back to then while Garcia took a chair near the front desk to look over Harold's house. If she were a psycho murderer who liked the finer things in life, where would she tie up two little boys? She looked over the map on her screen, and crossed out the rooms that were already covered in the initial raid. She was positive that their location would be on the tapes that Harold kept in his room, but it would be too long to look over them.

* * *

Shane weakly lifted his head up at the door, but nothing had changed since the last time he checked. His arms were sore from being held above his head for so long, but he was learning to ignore it. The pains that weren't going away were the slashes going down his back. His tongue was dry, but his stomach had stopped growling. He looked at the window, and saw that it was getting dark outside. He hated the black curtain that was over it. He couldn't remember the last time that he was outside. Sean was sitting next to him, but his twin had his eyes closed.

"How are you feeling?" he quietly asked Sean.

"Fine," Sean answered.

Shane wished that their chains were long enough so that he could touch Sean's hand, but that wasn't possible. They were sitting on a bare mattress, but that offered no comfort with their ankles and wrists both bleeding from the horrendous chains. He was thankful that the chains did offer some freedom to move his arms away from the wall a few inches so he could eat what Harold left them, but his brother was sitting more than a few inches away. He heard Sean breathing next to him, but there was nothing more to say. They were so happy when Harold stopped coming because that meant they could finally sleep, but Harold never came back. A small shelf near their raised hands held the only supply a food they once had, but that shelf was now empty.

"How long has Harold been gone?" Shane asked.

"Days? Weeks? I don't know," Sean answered.

Shane didn't remember even getting taken by Harold. He remembered that they played some kind of trick on him, but Shane couldn't even remember what trick. He woke up to Sean shouting next to him. They were in some kind of bedroom that had old furniture in it, but apparently, Harold was the only one who lived in the house. No one heard their shouts, and it was impossible for them to come up with any kind of scheme when their wrists and ankles were tied up. It wasn't so bad at first. Harold would come in to talk to them once a day about manners or something, and then he would feed them. He wouldn't offer them bathroom breaks, but some other man came in weekly to clean up after him. Harold didn't really start getting mean until Sean started arguing with him. They were whipped, lost their socks and shoes, and it wasn't soon before they also lost their shirts. Shane could put up with that. He knew the police would find them soon, but when Harold started denying them sleep, both boys went downhill.

Harold would kick them, slap them, or even whip them when he found the boys sleeping. He kept them awake at all hours of the day, and sometimes sent his quiet butler to keep the boys awake. It was the most horrible thing that they ever experienced. Shane would rather have been beaten to a bloody pulp rather than been denied sleep. It came to the point that both of them were even afraid to their close their eyes. Shane remembered Harold mentioning some kind of party, but he couldn't remember the details. That was the last time that they saw Harold. They fell asleep that night, and woke up not feeling totally refreshed, but better. The butler came back a few more times with food, but that stopped as well.

"Do you think he got arrested?" Shane asked.

"Maybe….but why didn't they find us yet? I didn't hear anyone," Sean said.

They were both too weak to shout. Sean wore himself out early on when he tried to attack Harold for touching Shane, but that didn't stop Harold from whipping both of them. It was Sean's idea to play that prank on Harold, and it was Sean who kept coming up with a million ideas a minute to escape from that house, but Sean was quiet now.

"I miss Shannon," Shane said. He did miss their older sister. He missed mom and her cooking, and he missed dad with his fascination for old cars. He even missed that damn cat that preferred Shannon over any member of the family. He tried pulling against the restraint that held his hands in place so he could touch his brother, but he couldn't get it to budge. The only result he got was a thin line of blood running down his arm. He did everything with his brother. It seemed like just yesterday that they were sleeping in bunk beds. They were given separate rooms only two years ago, but more often than not, they ended up in the same room.

"I don't feel that great," Sean said.

Were they both getting sick? It was cold in that room, and they were both pretty cut up. He looked around the room, desperately trying to find something that they missed before, but there wasn't much to see. It was a bedroom for sure, but it hadn't been used in years. There was another door that Shane assumed led to a closet, and there was an old desk next to the window. Shane saw a few framed pictures on the dresser by the closet, but other than that, the desk looked empty. The only thing in reach of the boys was the empty shelf that once held their food, but that wouldn't help them. They needed another person in there to get them out of those chains. They couldn't do it on their own. Shane didn't want to die. This couldn't be the end. They weren't even in high school yet. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tear off his own hands just to get out of there, but he didn't have the strength. They were sick.

"I'm scared," Shane said. He saw that Sean was trying to reach over to touch Shane's hand, but he failed just like Shane had. He had never seen Sean like this before. It was horrible.

"We'll get through this," Sean said. "If Harold did get arrested, they're searching the house. They're going to find us soon."

"I love you," Shane said after a moment of silence.

"I love you too," Sean replied.

* * *

Reid woke up out of breath and sweating. His heart was pounding against his chest, and his fingers felt like ice. He saw the familiar surroundings of the hospital but the brightly colored balloons and stuffed animals sitting in all of the free chairs. J.J. was sitting on the chair next to him looking over her phone. She stopped when she saw him.

"Oh my God, Spence, you alright?" she asked standing up.

"Yeah," Reid said trying to calm down. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Did you have another nightmare?"

"I don't remember," Reid said honestly. Why was it taking so long to get his breath under control? He hated that. "What time is it?"

"Almost 8pm," J.J. said sitting back down.

"Where's everyone else?" Reid asked. He noticed that his hair smelled much better, and he saw that his sheets had been replaced with new ones. How long had he been asleep?

"Hotch and Rossi are taking a nap at the hotel. Morgan is sleeping in his room, but I think they're going to be moving him closer to you. I think Prentiss and Garcia will be leaving the station soon. The trial is tomorrow," J.J. told him. "Is something wrong?"

"What?" Reid asked. He was taken back by the question. He wanted to switch positions. He wanted to turn around and face the other side of the room. He hated being constricted because of his broken arm.

"You don't seem like yourself."

"I'm fine," Reid said. He hated being lectured. What was the rest of the team really doing? Prentiss really had no real reason to be at the station. Harold was arrested. Everyone was rescued from the house. The only thing left was to leave whenever Reid and Morgan were ready. He didn't care if he was ready or not. He wanted to leave now.

"Don't do this to yourself," J.J. said. "Not again."

"Do what? I'm fine J.J." Reid snapped. He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to talk about Harold. He still felt ill whenever that man's name was mentioned. Why wouldn't that feeling go away? Why couldn't he just forget? The human brain was such a complex machine. It was capable of so many wonderful things, but it didn't have the ability to erase a memory or to take back the past. It wouldn't let Reid forget Harold.

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be having nightmares whenever you sleep," J.J. said.

"I just want to go home," Reid said quietly.

"I know, Spence, I know." J.J. replied. "I can go find out when you can start going around the hospital in a wheelchair. That'd be better, right? I'm sure you're sick of this room."

"Yeah, I am," Reid said agreeing. He stretched his fingers out, and watched her leave. Something was definitely going on. Why was Prentiss at the station with Garcia? Did something bad happen? Did Harold break free somehow? Reid felt his breathing speed up. He needed to get it under control, but Harold was smart. Harold knew exactly what he was doing, and Reid would be the first person he went after if he did break free.

"Is there something else going on?" Reid asked her. "Harold is still locked up, isn't he?"

"Of course he is," J.J. said quickly. "If he wasn't, your room would be guarded by every police officer in this town. Harold isn't going anywhere. He's under heavy security."

"Then what's going on?" Reid knew that J.J. wouldn't tell him anything, even if she did know. He supposed they were doing that to keep Reid calm, but he was still part of the team. He was getting better, and he had a right to know what was happening. Prentiss was not down at the station to play monopoly with the officers.

"Nothing," J.J. said. "They are just getting ready for Harold's trial tomorrow."

Reid wanted to keep pestering her. He knew that was the reason, but he kept his mouth shut. She wasn't going to tell him anything. He wondered if Morgan knew anything. He was sure that they would be telling Morgan things that they were too scared to tell Reid just because Morgan was older. Reid moved a little to change positions a little on the bed, but he had to hold back a gasp when a familiar sharp pain shot up his backside. The pain medication was working his magic, but Reid wanted more. He needed something that would make him forget why he had this pain in the first place. It wouldn't go away.

* * *

Prentiss sat down by Mr. Reid, and looked over the woman who claimed to be Nikki's mother. She did see some resemblance, but not that much. All kinds of thoughts were running through her head as she tried to figure out what kind of mother would not know that her daughter was hanging around people like Jude. Prentiss had already concluded that Jude was the one who was in charge of the attack, and that is why he wasn't there when Hotch had them all arrested. He wanted his little minions to get in trouble for what he wanted to do. Prentiss was sure that Nikki was with him.

"Good evening agent," Reid's father said. "I met Nikki earlier today. She called herself Cassandra, but I knew she was up to something. The group of boys she was with didn't look like the best kind of people."

"Do you know where your daughter is?" Prentiss asked the mother.

"I know that she likes to hang out at my house a lot with her friends, but I haven't seen her. What has she done?"

"Nikki hasn't done anything, but her group of friends planned out an attack on a federal agent. I need to find Nikki as soon as possible. Do you know anything about Jude?" Prentiss asked.

"Jude is something else," the other woman said. "I never liked him. I kept telling Nikki that he is trash, but she never listened to me. Do kids ever listen to their mothers? I don't think Jude ever finished high school. I think his dad is in prison somewhere, but don't quote me on that. I haven't got a clue on what happened to his mom. Nikki never tells me anything."

"Do you have any idea on where Jude lives?"

"I don't know if he even has a home anymore," she said slowly. "His dad got arrested, and since Jude doesn't have a job, I don't know how in the world he would be able to pay rent."

Prentiss tried to concentrate. It was harder with Harold's mother screaming obscenities in the back room, but if Jude didn't have a house, where could he go with Nikki? This guy was armed and dangerous. Prentiss knew that much. If Jude was corned, he would go down fighting. That wasn't good news for Nikki. She didn't think that Jude would just disappear either. His plan didn't work out like he planned. That just meant he would have to try harder next time. She just didn't understand how she became the target of his attack or why Nikki was lingering around the hospital with Reid. It had something to do with Harold. She was sure of it. Why else would a bunch of kids be following the agents around?

"Did Nikki or Jude know about Harold before he was arrested?" Prentiss asked.

"I don't think so, but I don't know that much about what Nikki does when she's out. She never tells me. I know that Jude hates cops. I hear him preaching sometimes about what pigs they are. I don't think he likes women either. I hear some of the things he tells Nikki. I can't figure out why she likes to hang out with that creep."

That confirmed Prentiss' earlier guesses about Jude's disrespect of women. Prentiss guessed that she could just wait around for Jude to show up. She knew he would come back again. Her only fear was that he would go after another member of her team like J.J. or Garcia. She didn't want that to happen, but she needed to focus on finding the missing boys. They were the most important thing because their lives were in danger. She couldn't waste time trying to track down Nikki or interviewing the kids that were arrested. She doubted that any of them would tell her where Jude was anyway.

"I would try looking around more in that park by the hotel. It's a big park, and I'm sure there are plenty of places where he could be hiding," Mr. Reid suggested.

That was a good idea. She would tell Rossi and Hotch when they woke up from their nap. She needed to get back to see if Garcia had any idea about where the twins were being held hostage.

"Just don't go looking for them," Prentiss told both of them. "Jude is armed, and he will be dangerous if he is confronted. Just call me if you spot them." She handed them her card, and stood up. "Thank you for your time ma'am," she told Nikki's mother.

"Is my daughter in danger?"

"We will find your daughter. I think she will be alright. He's going to want her to stick around," Prentiss said.

"Why?"

"Because we know he has her," Prentiss replied. Nikki was the real connection between the kids they arrested at the park and Jude. If she turned up dead, Jude would be the only suspect and he'd be in deeper trouble than he was already. Prentiss walked away without another word, but she really prayed her assumption was correct. Jude knew that Nikki talked to the agents. If something happened to her, there would be no way out for Jude.

* * *

Harold sat across from his parents in the conference room. His mother was talking about something, but he wasn't listening. Why didn't she just leave? He just wanted to hear the good news from Agent Hotchner that Reid would be visiting soon. He thought that the deal he offered was more than fair. He would give a pair of brats just for some time alone with his favorite guest. There would be no way that they would be able to find the twins without Harold's help. He didn't care if those boys lived or died, but he was desperate to see Reid again. The young agent was all he thought about. He remembered Reid's creamy skin, his silky hair, and the big puppy-dog eyes that never seemed to be at peace.

"I've hired you two more lawyers," his mother way saying. "They will be here first thing in the morning to go over the case with you. I still can't believe that one jerk walked off. Does he know who he was dealing with? I'll make sure that he never gets work in this town again."

Harold couldn't understand why the human body seemed so delicate. He didn't personally think that he put Reid or Morgan through that much, but the poor boy could barely open his eyes the last time he saw him. It seemed like just one wrong move was all it took for the body to shut down. That's how so many of his guests left him. He was putting them through a lot and just one day, they were gone. Once they are gone, there was no way of getting them back. He tried to be more careful with Reid. He never wanted Reid to leave him. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

"Harold, what are you thinking about?" his dad asked him.

"The human body," Harold replied. "It's capable of going through so much trauma, but it only takes one mistake for the heart to stop beating. It's curious."

"That's not something to be thinking about!" his mother exclaimed. "Your trial starts tomorrow. What will you be using as a defense?"

"The devil made him do it," Harold heard his dad whisper. He was slightly amused when his mother kicked his dad from under the table.

"You will be pleading innocent. Correct?" she asked him.

"When will I be able to see Agent Reid again?" Harold asked them. He was bored talking about the case and the trial. That's all anyone ever talked about anymore. Nobody ever told him about how Reid was doing in the hospital or about how little Timothy was doing. "Are any of the agents here right now?"

"Why would you be talking about that?" his father asked.

"Just thinking. Is Agent Hotchner here or one of the others?" Harold asked.

"I don't son," his dad replied. "Why are you asking about them?"

"Do you know if they tried searching my house yet?" Harold asked. He knew that no matter what the outcome of the trial turned out to be, he would never be getting out again. His lawyers could argue how the bodies came about or how the psychological distress of the two agents caused them to creature hallucinations in their minds, but that wouldn't save him from a life behind iron bars. He knew that Agent Hotchner would stay true to his threats about Harold's future, but Harold didn't really mind too much. He was going to see Reid again. That's all that mattered.

"Why would they be searching your house again?" his mother asked quickly.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" his father asked.

"Can I speak with the agents that are here now?" Harold asked calmly. He just wanted to know if they were going to be bringing Reid soon. That's all he wanted. His dream was to be left alone with Reid. There was so much they could do in an hour, but he knew that wouldn't happen. When Reid finally came, it was be a supervised visit and Harold's hands would most likely be tied up. That seemed like such a shame. He knew that Reid missed him too.

His father walked out of the room, and Harold was left alone with his mother. He didn't know why they never got along. Ever since he was a child, he wanted nothing to do with her. Maybe their zodiac signs didn't match up, but none of the mattered anymore. They would never have a proper relationship. Did he ever long to have a real mother? He couldn't remember ever wanting to be close to that woman. He never knew about other people's mothers so he never had anything to be envious of.

A woman with pale skin and black hair walked in the room moments after his father left. His father shut the door behind them just as she sat down.

"I don't think we have ever been introduced. My name is Harold," he said smiling at her. He would have offered her his hand, but they were held together with cuffs under the table. He remembered her from that horrible night at the house, and she was present during one of his talks with Hotch and Rossi. He couldn't remember meeting her personally though.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly. He had yet to meet someone friendly from Reid's team. Was the boy the only nice one? That didn't seem right.

"No name? What a shame. I was trying to make friends," Harold said slowly. He could tell that she was getting uncomfortable, but not from her body movements. She sat straight and tall in her chair. It was her eyes that gave her away. She was staring him down, but there was something about them that gave away her true feelings. She didn't want to be there.

"I can think of a million different ways to spend my time," she answered.

"Like looking for those missing boys? You're not going to find them," Harold said. "Is Agent Reid asking for me yet? I know that he's been talking about me. You can't deny that. He probably hasn't been able to get me out of his mind since he woke up."

"You're never going to see him again," she said standing up. "I can promise you that."

"Oh, I wouldn't be making promises I can't keep agent," Harold said smiling. "I imagine that he is thinking about me more than he tells any of you. I am the first person he thinks about when he wakes up, and I am the last person he thinks about before he sleeps. I am sure that I am also quite prominent in his dreams. Does he wake up screaming my name?"

"Bye Harold," she said rudely. She slammed the door behind her without even looking at him again. By her actions, Harold knew that he was right about Reid.

His parents both stayed quiet after the woman left. His mother pretended to be searching for something through her purse, but his father just stared at him. Harold started back.

"Harold?" his father finally spoke.

"Yes?" Harold asked without breaking eye contact.

"What were you telling her about missing boys?"

* * *

Morgan had no idea how long he actually slept by the time he woke up. He fell asleep in a strange position so it hurt to turn his head side to side. He hated doing that. His room was quiet though. He didn't see Garcia asleep in a chair or J.J. trying to get the stuffed animals organized somehow. He was alone, and it looked like the sun had gone down outside. He could sleep more. He knew he could, but he didn't feel like doing that. What was he doing before he fell asleep? He was worried about Reid. Reid was accepting more pain medication. He remembered that. He told Prentiss to watch out for him.

He swung his legs off the side of his bed, and rotated his ankles in little circles to wake them up. He turned on the television, and went around his room looking at the little cards and presents that his team got for him. He really did love all of them. They never had a case even similar to the one that Harold gave them. He hoped that this didn't tear the team apart. They really needed to stick together, now more than ever. They needed to look out for each other. Just because he was safe in the hospital with Reid, that didn't mean their troubles were over. He hated movies where the victim went through hell, and it had a "happy ending" when the victim was reunited with their family. That's not how it happens in real life. The rescue is only the first part of healing that the victims go through. They have a long road to travel still, and most of them have to take this journey on their own. He wasn't going to let Reid go through it on his own again. They went through Harold together and survived. They were going to go through healing together too.

Morgan would have to ask the next nurse he saw if he would be able to get the room next to Reid's. He didn't like being so far away from the kid. He knew that Reid had a tendency of keeping things to himself. Morgan could be the same way. Very few people were ever able to confess to somebody that they really needed help. Morgan needed to get a room closer to Reid, and he needed to be there when they pulled the switch that would end Harold's life. He knew that Hotch didn't want him to see Harold anymore, but Morgan wasn't going to sit back. He wanted to watch that man suffer the way he hurt them. No punishment would ever be good enough though. Justice would eventually be served, Morgan knew that, but Harold would never experience the torture and agony that he put his victims through.

He sat back down on the bed, and glanced up at the television. He knew that his team did tell him a lot about what was going on outside the hospital walls, but they would never tell him everything. He knew that they were trying to protect him, but he had a right to know what they were going to do with that son of a bitch. He saw an ocean of reporters standing outside the hospital and jail. He couldn't believe his eyes. He knew that Harold's case was getting media attention when photographers kept trying to sneak in to get his picture. He never imagined it would be this big.

"The public still does not know why Harold did what he did," a female reporter told the camera. "There is word that he has just hired two new lawyers, but they have yet to give a statement. Harold's parents left the station a few hours ago, but they did not speak to anyone."

Morgan could never work as a lawyer. There would be no way possible that he could defend a client like Harold. He looked down at his bandaged wrists and sighed. Harold gave him scars that would constantly remind him of what happened. There was nothing human about that man, nothing at all.

"There are rumors going around about two more possible victims," the reporter continued. "Nothing has been confirmed yet, but insiders have told us that twin boys who went missing several months ago can be added to the list of victims. The twins, age 12, disappeared during a school field trip. They haven't been seen since."

Morgan held his breath.

"We are trying to get word from authorities as to what is going on, and if the twins are still alive or not. Up to date, the only survivors are the two federal agents and the female victim that was with them. There is very little hope that these two boys are still alive."

Morgan turned the television off when a picture of the twins filled the screen. There weren't any kids in the room with them. He knew that. The only body in that dungeon was Samantha. He didn't even really know how big Harold's house was. He was unconscious when he was brought there and he was unconscious when he left. He assumed the house was big when Harold talked about having a party, but the only room he ever got to see was that room where he almost died.

He stood up, and after a little struggle to get his door open, he went over to Reid's room. He didn't know if the entire team was even in the hospital or not, but he wanted some answers. Harold never mentioned having other children locked away in his house. Was this brand new? Why would Harold bring it up? He didn't seem like the kind of person who would willingly offer up new victims to be found. Harold wanted something. That's why he told the team about the two boys. He wanted something in return.

Morgan peaked his head into Reid's room. As much as he wanted information, he wasn't about to tell Reid. He could see why Hotch wouldn't want to tell Reid. The poor kid would never heal if he had to worry about finding lost children on top of getting over his nightmares. Morgan could handle it though. He was walking just fine, and the pain medication was really helping his arms and back. The cuts on his chest were healing up nicely. He saw J.J. sitting very close to Reid. Her hand was on top of one of his, and Morgan could see that his young friend was awake from where he stood. He couldn't ask J.J. about it, not now. Even if he called her out of the room to ask her about the twins, Reid was going to guess that something was up.

He turned back to his room. He didn't think he would be able to talk to Reid without thinking of the twins. He knew that his team needed his help, but he couldn't do much when he was walking around a hospital. He just wished he knew what Harold wanted in return for information about the boys. Morgan sat back down on his bed. He was getting a headache from all of this, but it wasn't going to go away just because he stopped thinking about it. When Reid fell asleep, he was going to make J.J. tell him everything she knew about the situation. The only thing that Harold really wanted was Reid. Morgan jerked himself back on his feet. He didn't know what Hotch was planning, but that man was never going to see Reid again. He wanted to run down to the station himself and beat Harold into a bloody pulp for even thinking about his friend. He knew that's what Harold was asking for. That's why nobody told him about the twins.

_and the end for chapter 42. u guys likie much? im still trying 2 get back n2 the mood for writing. u have 2 b n a certain mood 2 write or anything that comes out is totally bad and sounds forced. u must wait 4 the inspiration 2 come. thankfully, its not 2 hard when working with harold. any idea on what will happen 2 jude and nikki? at this point, only jude knows. blah 2 him haha. and u guys like the twins? im having a harder time trying 2 see what morgan and reid r really going thru. they r used 2 going through everything with their team and now their team is trying 2 protect them still and move forward with the case against harold so its kinda hard. i can imagine that morgan probably wants to punch a wall haha. and dont ask how the reporters found out about the twins. i am positive that at least one cop would hear about them and would be eager enough 2 tell the media. so plz REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_


	53. Chapter 53

_nice long chapter for you guys. sorry for the long delay again. im not giving up on this story and i will read the stories you guys keep asking me 2. my best friend in the whole world, my dog, died one month ago. she had cancer that spread to her lungs and i never really got over it. i dont think i ever will. i was trying to help her get better, but i guess it wasnt meant to be. i havent felt like doing much of anything until now. my poor little girl. ill always love her. anyways, here is the chapter. um, the warnings is that theres kinda flashbacks of earlier chapters. jude is still an idiot and harolds trial starts the next chapter._

Morgan was sitting on the edge of his bed when he heard Prentiss and Garcia walking in about an hour later. It was getting late, after 9pm, but both of the girls sounded wide awake. Morgan stood in his doorway to wait for them. He saw all the nurses hustling around, but no one was running urgently towards Reid's room. That assured him that Reid was still alright. He kept having nightmares that something terrible was going to happen to the kid. The nightmares all took place after they were rescued from the manor, and that's why Morgan didn't understand them. He wasn't reliving his past through his dreams. It was something else. Morgan needed to see Harold again just to calm his nerves. Reid was safe, and so was he.

"Morgan? What are you doing out of bed?" Prentiss asked. Morgan looked up, and saw them rounding the corner. Both of them were holding coffee cups, and Garcia had a bag around one of her arms that Morgan suspected was more gifts.

"Is Reid alright?" Garcia asked. She trotted towards him, and the sound of her heels hitting against the tile floor sent echoes across the hospital.

"He's fine baby girl," Morgan said smiling gently. Both of them looked relieved, but still glanced towards Reid's room. "He's still in there with J.J."

"Then what's up?" Prentiss asked. "Why aren't you with them?"

"Tell me about the missing twins," Morgan said quietly. He didn't want any nurses overhearing him, and then going around to tell Reid. Morgan didn't know what was going on himself. He didn't need to put up with gossip of the loud-mouthed nurses.

Prentiss looked over at Garcia, and it looked like they were trying to speak through their minds for a second. Morgan knew that they were going to be like this, but he wasn't going to drop the topic. He needed to know. Prentiss broke the glance she was holding with Garcia, and made her way past Morgan into the room. Garcia followed her. Morgan made sure that no doctors or nurses were headed his way before he shut the door behind him. He chose not to sit down on the bed. Prentiss set her coffee down, but she didn't sit down either. Garcia was the only one who chose to rest herself on one of the chairs, but she didn't open her mouth for conversation.

"How did you hear about them?" Prentiss finally asked.

"The news," Morgan said. He stayed by the door, and noticed that Prentiss was getting nervous. She wasn't planning on telling him.

"Harold called Hotch and Rossi over because he said he had something to tell them. He said that he kidnapped two boys from a nearby town four months ago. He would tell us where the boys are if we let him see Reid again," she said quietly.

"The twins are still missing," Garcia added. "I made a million phone calls to see if he was making it up, but Harold wasn't lying. He even told Hotch what they were wearing."

"No deal," Morgan said angrily. "I don't even want that ass in the same state as Reid!" Morgan slammed one of his fists into a small table, and had to wave his other hand to keep Garcia in her chair. She was afraid he hurt himself, but he was fine. He was just pissed off that Harold even thought about seeing Reid again.

"Don't worry," Prentiss said. "Hotch said basically the same thing."

"Could he see me instead?" Morgan asked. Why wouldn't Harold want to see him? He was in better shape than the poor kid, and he actually wanted to see Harold again. He wanted to kick that man's ass. "I'll go. I'll go right now."

"No, no, no!" Garcia cried out. She ran over to him, and tried to pull him down onto the bed.

"He's not going to see either one of you," Prentiss agreed.

"Well then, how do you think you are going to find those boys? You guys keep telling me how big the house is, and the news said they've been missing for a long time. I'm sure Harold didn't leave them with enough food to even last a week."

"I don't know," Prentiss confessed.

"Then let me see him!" Morgan exclaimed. "I'll sit down, and stay there until he tells us where the kids are. He won't be able to touch me. I'll be safe in a police station."

"He wanted to see Reid," a new voice added to the conversation. Morgan looked towards the door and saw that J.J. had snuck in. "Reid is with the doctor right now, and I saw that you guys came back. He knows that something's going on, but he's still not in the best shape. He's still having really bad nightmares, but he won't talk to me about it."

"Where are Rossi and Hotch?" Morgan asked. He noticed that they were only ones not there.

"Resting at the hotel," Garcia said. "They looked exhausted."

"Especially Hotch," J.J. added. "I don't think he's had a break since we got here."

"Something needs to be done to help find those boys," Morgan said stubbornly. "Seriously, what do you guys think will happen if I talk to Harold? I'll be in a police station surrounded by armed police officers. Harold can't touch me if he wanted to."

Morgan understood why the others didn't want him to be near Harold, but if something wasn't done soon, two little boys would die. He was willing to go there tonight. He knew they wouldn't take him back to the house to rescue the twins, but he wanted to help. He secretly wanted to murder Harold, but he wasn't going to tell his team that. They wanted to kill him too.

"We're not doing anything until Hotch and Rossi get back," Prentiss said firmly.

"We need to do something soon," Morgan said confidently. He knew that he was able for a trip down to the station. If he was lucky, they could even do it when Reid was sleeping so the kid would never know what happened. Morgan hoped that Hotch would wake up just so he could get this over with. He hated putting things off.

* * *

Reid hated the doctors checking up on him whenever he was awake, but he didn't complain. He was quiet while the doctor looked under his bandages, but he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out when he felt his gown being lifted up to look at his other injuries. The doctor didn't touch him down there, and for that he was grateful. The doctor was scribbling notes down in his pad when Reid heard nurses talking outside. J.J. had left a few moments ago, and it was relatively quiet in the hospital.

"Did you hear about those missing boys?" a young nurse squeaked.

"Oh my God, I know!"

"Think they're dead yet? I would hate to be in Harold's house for all that time!"

"I heard that Harold will tell the cops where the kids are if he can talk to Agent Reid again. I think it's selfish if they don't let him see that agent. I mean, their lives are at stake!"

Reid heard the doctor stop writing, but Reid didn't mind him. Two little boys were at Harold's house? It all made sense. He knew that J.J. was hiding something.

"Excuse me agent," the doctor mumbled. Reid heard him running out to the hallway to get the nurses to be quiet, but it was too late. Reid already knew what they were talking about. Harold was going to let two little boys die if Reid didn't go talk to him. Reid wished that someone had told him about this earlier. He felt hurt that not one person in his team mentioned this to him. He was still part of this team, and if he could help save lives, he was going to.

"Can you tell Agents Prentiss and Morgan to come to my room?" Reid asked the doctor when he got back in the room.

"Of course," the doctor answered.

Reid's heart started pounding the second the doctor left. He pushed himself into a sitting position, and ignored the fiery pain that shot up from his behind once he put weight on it. He was scared of Harold. He was afraid of seeing his face again, and afraid of hearing his voice again. He saw that man every night in his dreams. Was he having a mental breakdown? Why couldn't he control his own thoughts? He was just so afraid of Harold taking him again. He couldn't physically or mentally handle another rape. He just couldn't.

"Reid?" Prentiss asked. "Oh my God, Reid, lie back down!" Prentiss rushed over to him, and tried to help him back down, but he wouldn't budge. Morgan was behind her, but his face told Reid that he already knew about the boys.

"Harold wants to see me?" Reid asked in a voice just higher than a whisper.

"He's wanted to see you since he was arrested," Prentiss said calmly. "You already knew that. You need to rest. Don't think about that monster now."

"Why didn't you tell me about the missing boys?" Reid asked. He looked up at her, and saw the surprise in her face.

""Who told you about them?" Morgan asked. He circled around to the other side of the bed, and Reid had vivid flashbacks of Morgan screaming while Harold held him down.

"It doesn't matter," Reid answered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Reid saw Garcia and J.J. come into his room out of the corner of his eye, but he never dropped his eye contact with Morgan. He was hurt that no one told him. It was like he wasn't part of the team just because he was in the hospital, and he hated that.

"We're working on finding them," Prentiss told him.

"How will you be able to find them without my help?" Reid asked. "If you didn't need Harold to tell you, wouldn't you have found them by now?"

"Reid, look at me," Morgan demanded. Reid reluctantly turned around, and saw that Morgan was bent over so they were eye to eye. Morgan grabbed onto one of Reid's hands, and Reid saw the clean wraps over both of his wrists. They were identical to the ones that Reid bore. No matter what else happened between them, this was something they both shared. No one else knew what they endured while living with Harold. "We are going to find those kids, and you are going to stay right here. You aren't ever going to see that man again."

"And what if you can't?" Reid asked.

"But we will," Morgan assured him.

Reid wanted to believe him, but he didn't even have enough respect to tell him that Harold was holding out on more victims. Harold wasn't going to tell anyone else but Reid where the little boys were being held. Reid wasn't suffering from Stockholm syndrome, but he knew how Harold worked better than anyone. Morgan wasn't there the whole time.

"Did you know that Harold raped me while Markus was watching?" Reid asked.

"Oh Spence," he heard J.J. say in the background.

"He found Markus with me, and he assumed that Markus also wanted to rape me. He was actually telling him how to hold me down, and how to get the best angle, and do you know what Markus did? Absolutely nothing. He watched the entire thing, but he didn't try to help me."

Reid remembered it perfectly. He was resting, or trying to, when Markus woke him up. Markus was showing him a picture, and a light bulb went off in Reid's head when he realized his friends were there. Markus was trying to assure him that he wasn't going to let Reid get killed when Harold strolled in. Reid was so scared. Harold forced him onto his bony knees, but he wasn't helping Reid stay up. One wrong move and he would have fallen off the table. Reid kept crying out for Markus to help him, but Markus never said a word. He still felt the pain and humiliation when Harold violently pushed himself inside of Reid's body. Why did it still hurt so badly? He couldn't even try to remember without causing his heart to pound in his chest. He still felt the blood dripping down his thighs and the damned classical music was forever playing in his mind. He bit the corner of his mouth, and forced back the tears forming in his eyes. He was with his team, his friends, and he was safe now.

"Harold isn't going to tell you where the boys are. He's only going to tell me." Reid's words silenced them all. He was going to continue on his rants when all of them heard Harold's voice from another room. His heart stopped in his chest for a second when he realized it was just a television. J.J. took a cue from his face to turn on the news.

"I'm simply asking for a minute of Doctor Reid's time to tell him where the twins are," Harold told the cameras. It looked like he was standing outside of the police station, but his ankles and wrists were chained together with handcuffs. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Are the boys safe?" one reporter asked.

"They will certainly die if the agent won't speak to me soon," Harold said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Has the FBI agreed to let you speak to the agent?"

"I haven't heard from them yet, but it will be their fault if the children die. It's a simple request: one conversation for the safety of the twins."

Morgan turned off the television before the interview was finished, but all of them heard what Harold was saying. Reid hadn't seen Harold since he was rescued. They made sure the television was off, and most of them never even mentioned his name when they were talking to Reid.

"How did he manage to get an interview?" J.J. asked to break the silence.

"He needs to see me if we want to rescue the boys," Reid said as calm as he could. The boys were going to die if Harold couldn't see Reid again. He was afraid, but he couldn't let his fear take control of his life. He didn't want the little boys to die because of him.

* * *

Rossi woke up before Hotch did that evening, but Rossi didn't turn the television on like was his normal routine. He went to mini kitchen to search for coffee, but when he didn't find any already made, he retreated back to his own bedroom. Hotch needed his rest. He knew that Hotch woke up easily so Rossi needed to be as quiet as possible. He turned on his cell phone to check for any messages, and was surprised to see that he only had one text waiting for him.

"Reid knows," was all the message said. It was sent by Prentiss a little less than half an hour ago. Rossi didn't need to ask her what Reid knew or how he found out. The only thing that they hadn't told him was about the twin boys. Rossi slipped his shoes back on, and looked out the window. It seemed that even during his time to relax, he had to think about work. There wouldn't be any true relaxing until they were all back home and Harold was behind bars forever.

"What is he saying?" Rossi texted back. He pulled the covers back over the bed, and tried to enjoy the cool air conditioner blowing into his face.

"He wants to see Harold," the reply came back less than a minute later. Prentiss was fast with her fingers. Rossi set the phone down without texting back. What was there to say? He didn't want Reid to see Harold again. He didn't want Harold to see Morgan again. Hell, he didn't want to see Harold again. What he really wanted was alcohol. He wasn't much of a drinker, but he needed something to get his mind off of the psychopath demanding to see the youngest member on his team. There wasn't any alcohol in the hotel room though. He supposed it was for the best. They wouldn't want him back in the hospital acting like a fool.

"How is he?" Rossi finally wrote back. He hadn't seen his young friend in a while, and he suddenly missed the kid a lot. It seemed like just yesterday he was teasing Morgan about some girl he met or Morgan was going on about him being a computer with legs. Rossi really missed that. Were they ever going to do that again?

Rossi didn't move from his bed when he heard Hotch walk in. Hotch look thoroughly refreshed. He was wearing gray sweatpants, an old tee shirt, and his hair still looked wet from his shower. It was a complete turnaround. Hotch really did need this break. Hotch circled around to the window, and looked outside at the peaceful night.

"Any news?" Hotch asked.

"Reid found out about the twins," Rossi told him. "Prentiss has been texting me.

Hotch turned around, and Rossi noticed that he looked tired again. This was taking a lot out of all of the team, not just Morgan and Reid. All of them were suffering. They needed to get out of that state. Harold would end up killing them all without laying a finger on them. Rossi didn't want to wait for the trial. He wanted to leave right then.

"We can't let Reid see him," Hotch said. He sat down next to Rossi, and sighed quietly. "It's too risky, and I don't think Reid is even up for it. He hasn't even been in a wheelchair yet."

Rossi looked down at his buzzing phone, and saw that Prentiss wrote back.

"Reid's condition is still the same," Rossi told Hotch while reading from the phone. "They haven't talked to the doctor yet, but Reid is still having nightmares. He needs to get out of here."

"We should go back to the hospital," Hotch said. He got up, and stretched out his arms. "I don't want Reid or Morgan in the same building at Harold."

"Then how are we going to find the boys?" Rossi asked him. Harold was arrogant, and he wasn't going to give up any vital information until he got what he wanted. Interrogation techniques wouldn't work on this man. "Wait," Rossi said. "Prentiss said to turn on the news."

Hotch turned the television on with the remote, and an image of Harold at some kind of press conference filled the screen. On either side of him were two lawyers and Harold himself looked like he had combed his hair and ironed out his uniform. Rossi felt chills go down his back.

"All I want to do is tell Agent Reid where the children are. Is that simply too much to ask from the FBI? Are they afraid that something terrible could happen to a trained federal officer or are they not interested in rescuing two little boys?" Harold asked the reporters with a smile on his face. "I am beginning to think that the government is more concerned about its own well being than the safety and security of the innocent."

Hotch turned off the television without finishing the interview. The restful look that he had on when he awoke from his nap was gone. He looked like he wanted to go on a rampage, and the first victim would be Harold. This interview just confirmed what both men knew already. Harold wasn't going to stop until he saw their youngest again, and that was something that Reid was just not up for. Rossi knew how brave the young doctor was, but he couldn't fight this battle on his own. He just wasn't able.

"We will find them. Get dressed. We'll go back to the hospital to check up on Reid, but I want to start the search for the twins tonight. Reid needs to rest. He can't deal with anymore stress," Hotch said. He left the room without another word.

Rossi remembered how large Harold's house was. He almost got lost finding that guy's bedroom, let alone finding two missing children. Harold was arrested almost a week ago, and if he left the twins with food right before they found him upstairs, the kids would be out of food already. He didn't even mention if the kids had water or not. The likelihood of finding them alive wasn't high, but if they really wanted to search, they needed Harold's help. They weren't going to send a team in there and find the boys in time. The house was just too big, and Harold could have easily stuck them in some hidden passage.

"We will be down there shortly," Rossi wrote back to Prentiss. "Don't let Reid get out of bed."

The ride back to the hospital was short, and Rossi was grateful that there wasn't a herd of photographers out front asking questions about the trial. They were still probably all at the station with Harold. They would be back to ask the agents questions soon enough. Rossi wasn't looking forward to that. Harold was making them out to be the bad guy, and the reporters were just eating that up. It seemed like they had already forgotten that when they finally arrested Harold, he was eating one of his employees. Eating!

They found the rest of their team all in Reid's room. None of them looked that happy to be there. Reid was sitting up in his bed, and Rossi saw all of the bandages covering up the young man's back. It served as a reminder that all of this really was happening. Reid really had been to hell and back, and no one in that room could claim that they knew what he was going through. Rossi did have his experiences working the job, but nothing like Harold. Rossi found a chair next to Morgan, and sat down. Morgan was looking better. Rossi was never going to get used to seeing the muscular man in a hospital gown, but the color was back in his face. Rossi just didn't like to see the bandages covering his wrists. Rossi would have given anything to be in his place.

"How are you feeling Reid?" Hotch asked.

"Fine," Reid said quickly.

Reid was closing himself up again. Rossi knew that, and he hadn't been with the team as long as any of the others. J.J. looked upset, and Garcia was at a loss of words. Why couldn't they just lock Harold in a cell and accidentally lose the key? That needed to happen.

"Prentiss, you come with me and Rossi to start searching the house tonight. We will find the twins without Harold's help," Hotch said with confidence. "Reid, you need to lie back down. The doctor never said that you could start moving around. Your leg isn't even healed."

"Hotch, I'm not a little boy. I'm part of this team too, and I don't want kids to be killed because all of us are afraid of Harold. He is extremely bright, and he wouldn't have the boys hanging out in the open where the hired help could find them," Reid said.

"I can't believe you guys are even considering this!" Morgan nearly shouted. He stood up, and walked to the other side of the bed. "You nearly died in there Reid. You aren't in any shape to be making these kinds of decisions."

"Oh, and you are?" Reid snapped back.

"Reid, Morgan is right. You're still recovering from pneumonia," Hotch said slowly.

"We almost lost you Spence," J.J. said standing up.

"Do you think he will try to attack me when I talk to him? The conversation would be supervised, and he'd be in handcuffs," Reid argued.

"We're not worried about him attacking you," Rossi joined in. "We're worried about you getting sick again. There are more ways that he could hurt you besides physically. You of all people should know about that."

Reid broke eye contact with the group, and looked down on his bed. He was hurting inside. That part was obvious. Rossi wanted him to open up more than he did. He really didn't know that much about the young doctor, and Reid wasn't one to surrender personal information. He was picked on a lot when he was growing up because of his stature and his brain, and that was part of the reason he was so secretive. Whenever he did open up, he was used to something bad happening like teasing or bullying.

"Reid," Prentiss said reaching for his hand. Reid took his hand away before she grabbed it.

"I just don't want those kids to die," Reid slowly said. His big eyes looked watery, but he wasn't letting himself close to anyone on the team. "I don't want them to go what I went through. I don't want them to be alone and scared like I was."

* * *

Harold's lawyers wanted to hang themselves when he finished the interview. If they were that suicidal, they should be seeing some kind of doctor. Harold couldn't help them with those kinds of nasty thoughts. Suicide was never the answer although he did pity the poor souls who did choose that path. Harold was never going to find himself in that situation. Whenever he was cornered, he fought back. He was going to see Reid again. They could send an entire SWAT team in his house, but they wouldn't find the boys. They wouldn't find those disrespectful children until it was too late.

"Mister Caldwell, did you have to," one lawyer began once they got back in the conference room.

"Do not call me Mister. I like to be on the first name basis with those I am associating with in a casual setting. Your name is Christopher, correct?" Harold asked. His wrists were itching from the horrid handcuffs, but he chose not to bring it up in conversation.

"I would prefer it if you call me Mister Henke," Christopher replied.

"As you wish," Harold said. He wasn't listening though. He was thinking back to the last time he saw his young guest. Oh, how he missed Spencer Reid.

"Why did you have to do that interview? It's not going to help you in the long run," Christopher told him.

"And why did you have to that haircut? It reminds me of that man who likes to call him Carrot Top. Curly hair isn't really in style. I used to know a fantastic hair dresser who could fix a mess as terrible as the one on your head, but I fell out of touch with her," Harold said. Reid had beautiful hair. It was silky, and Harold loved the smell of it. He was going to see the boy again, and Harold could hardly wait.

"Please stop getting off topic! Your trial is first thing in the morning, and I don't think you fully understand what you're going up against!"

"I do believe that I have been charged with several murders. I do forget the exact number, but it is higher than 20? Correct? Two of the victims were federal agents, and only three of the people I apparently kidnapped survived. I am being charged with holding a person against their will, rape, murder…is cannibalism a crime yet?"

"I'm going to bed," the other lawyer mumbled. He threw some papers in his briefcase and left Harold alone with Christopher.

"Could you tell me more about the agents?" Christopher asked with a pen in hand.

"Of course, what would you like to know my friend?" Harold asked.

"You already know that Agent Morgan was molested as child. What kind of behaviors did you see him exhibiting? Was he an angry kind of person? Did he seem at all violent towards the younger agent?"

"Are you going to try and blame this on one of them?" Harold asked. He was mildly curious. He wasn't a lawyer but it seemed difficult to blame the murders on FBI agents.

"Just tell me, did Agent Morgan seem like a violent person?"

"Well," Harold paused while thinking back. "He cursed an awful lot. He did seem like he liked to hit things quite a bit, and he sure was angry with me when I was touching Reid's…you get the picture. I am not so much as a graphic person myself. I could do without the little details."

"And Agent Reid? His mother suffers from schizophrenia, and she is currently staying at a hospital. Was he exhibiting any signs of this?"

"He screamed in his sleep," Harold said slowly. "I hope the boy isn't developing that disease. It would be such a shame to keep his pretty face locked away like that."

Harold watched for a minute while his lawyer scribbled down some notes about the problems that both agents suffered from, but he was bored with that. He wanted to be getting himself ready for Agent Reid's visit. He had so much to tell the boy. He wondered if it would be too difficult to try and touch the boy's creamy skin. He missed that.

"Have you heard from any of the FBI yet?" Harold asked.

"You just did that interview about half an hour ago," the lawyer responded. "They probably haven't even seen it yet."

"They already know my offer," Harold said coldly. They were not going to keep Reid away from him. If they wanted to play dirty, he could do that too. Reid was his. Didn't they know that all of this foolishness would go away if they let him have one hour with the doctor? One hour was all he asked. It could be supervised, of course, but he wanted to be alone in the room with Reid. One hour in return for two missing children. It seemed fair to him.

"And what if I don't get any calls for them or they don't come back to the station? You'll let two little boys die?"

"I could do more than that," Harold said with a smile.

* * *

Jude was holding so tightly onto Nikki's hand that she was losing feeling in it. He dragged her out of the park, and slapped her across the cheek whenever she tried to say something. She just wanted to die. She felt so sorry for the agents. The blonde one, Garcia, looked scared to death. She wanted to start screaming herself when she saw blood on Agent Prentiss, but Jude pulled her back before she could do anything. Jude saw the other agents coming, and he wanted to disappear before they got closer. Whenever he heard sirens, he slammed her against whatever they were closest to like a park bench or an old tree. Nikki wasn't ready to die yet. She just wasn't, but the fiery look in Jude's eyes was deadly. He didn't stop pulling her until they were near some abandoned houses. He threw her against a wire fence, and slammed his fist against his thigh. Nikki didn't try to run when she fell to the ground. She was too scared.

"Those little fuckers! Did they even get that bitch's gun?"

"I don't know," Nikki whispered.

"She needs to die. We need to kill her. Do you still have the other kids on your cell? We need to get them tonight. We can plan something better," Jude ranted.

"I have their numbers, but I think we need to stop." Nikki never got up from her spot in the ground while Jude paced around. Her jeans felt tight against her sweaty legs, and she felt some of her long bangs sticking to her forehead. She wanted to go home. She wanted her mother.

Jude took her phone out of her hands, and started dialing without asking her. She listened silently while Jude told several members of their group about the "cunt" who ruined their plan. She knew the others were agreeing with him, and it wouldn't be long before they were all down there to try again. A bunch of idiot kids would show up, try to abduct a woman who was trained in combat, and the night would end with all of them in prison. Jude threw her phone on the ground next to her when he was finished, but he was still fuming.

"Maybe we can make a trade," he said smiling. "A trade…a trade…a trade…God, I wish we could go talk to poor Harold. He knows them better than we do. They tricked him too, got him framed for something and he has to suffer for it. They need to suffer. All of them. That bitch who got our friends in trouble, and those mother-fucking agents who got Harold arrested. He would help us. Harold would help us make all of them pay for what they've done."

"Harold doesn't want anyone but Agent Reid," Nikki replied. It was true. She had seen enough interviews to make her believe that Harold was a sadistic psychopath who wanted to torture people to death. "You didn't see him Jude. He had all of these bandages on his back, and he just look really sick. It was so sad. His friends looked like they were all crying."

"They are making you fall for their government brain washing. Don't believe in anything you see or hear from those people. It's all lies. They're making us think what they want us to think. We're all becoming sheep people who don't have opinions ourselves."

"I don't think that the poor agent did that to himself. You didn't see him."

"I don't need to see him Nicole! It's all fucking lies, and you're believing it just like the sheep you are. Baa! Baa!"

Nikki bent her legs, and put her head in between them. She didn't need to try to convince him. He wouldn't believe anything she said anyway. He already had his mind set. She heard a car's engine going off, but she didn't get up. It was just one of the older girls, Julie, who was always bragging about how her rich daddy bought her a brand new convertible. She actually lived on Harold's block, but Nikki didn't think they ever met.

"What's goin on you guys?" Julie asked them.

Julie was the only one of the three of them that had any real future. Her daddy spoiled the hell out of her, and it was almost guaranteed that she would go to the finest college money could afford. She had pretty red hair and green eyes. Her dad hated the fact that she hung around people like Jude and Nikki, but the more he complained, the more she liked them. She was wearing designer jeans, a green button down shirt, and she wore sunglasses over her head even though it was night.

"The pigs got away again," Jude told her. "We need to do something, and it needs to be done tonight. You've been watchin the news?"

"That Harold dude or the missing baby from Texas?" she asked with a smile.

"Harold is a fine man. He was standing up for all of the little people, and so they locked him away. Those people who think they are better than the rest of us took him away in chains. We need to rally for Harold, and make the fuckers who pay who did this to him, and that bitch who got some of our friends arrested."

"How do we do that? Are you trying to fight a start against the FBI? They're like big you know," Julie said. "What are you doing there on the ground Nikki?"

"Sitting," Nikki said.

"I was thinking of some kind of trade," Jude said bringing his hand to his face.

"What in the world do you have that they want? I don't think they'd even want daddy's money for Harold," Julie said.

"We can't get Harold out for money. I'm not stupid white trash. I know that he's going to go through some trial, and they are going to find him guilty, but we can bargain for one of the pigs themselves," Jude said.

"You really want to kill one of them, don't you?" Julie asked.

"More than anything," Jude replied smiling. "It doesn't matter which one. I think I'd prefer that bitch who got away or one of the fuckers that started it all. You said Agent Reid looked sick?"

"Leave him alone," Nikki said joining in the conversation. "You didn't see how worried all of his friends looked, and that lady you attacked with your dumb ass friends knows him. She has so much on her mind, and you're just adding to it."

"The agents all met you, right?" Jude asked.

"I don't know if I met all of them, but" Nikki started, but she never got to finish. Jude lifted her up by her hair, and pulled her towards Julie.

"We can trade this cunt," Jude said happily.

"What do you mean?" Julie asked.

"We have a standoff. We just tell them we're goin kill her if we can't have Agent Reid or Agent Prentiss. They're not goin let some innocent get killed."

"Your stupidity isn't going to get you anywhere!" Nikki shouted. She didn't care if anyone heard her. She wanted to go back home.

"Do you really think that they are just going to let you walk away with an agent?" Julie asked.

"Of course not. We shoot the pig then and there…right in the head. They'll be dead before they hit the ground."

Nikki didn't say anything while Jude laughed at his own, crude joke. Julie led both of them into her car, and she drove them back to her house to wait for more kids to show up. Nikki wouldn't mind taking a little nap. It was late and she was exhausted. She didn't think that Jude would really try to hurt her. He just wanted to get back at the "evil" government.

* * *

Hotch was saved from Reid's angry stare with a phone call. He quickly excused himself from the room, and listened to the sheriff's plan to bring a SWAT team into Harold's house. They would be able to cover the first floor by sunrise, but even that seemed like a long time to Hotch. Harold seemed to like secret passages, and Hotch knew the team wouldn't be able to find every secret room in that damned house. He was heading back into the room when he recognized Reid's doctor walking by.

"Doctor Meyer?" Hotch called out.

"Oh yes, agent, how are you doing this evening?" Meyer asked. He pulled the clipboard away from his face, and offered Hotch a kind smile.

"I'm doing just fine doctor. Can you tell me how Agent Reid is doing?"

"He is slowly getting better. That stab wound in his leg is healing up nicely, but he is still very delicate right now. He has a lot of stitches, and one wrong move would open them up again. He needs his rest."

"How soon until he is able to travel?" Hotch asked glancing back in the room.

"Travel?"

"Yes, I'd like to get him to a hospital back home. I think it would be better for him," Hotch said. If the doctor gave him permission, he'd make sure Reid was on the first plane out of there.

"He's not going to be well enough to travel for at least a week. I'd actually recommend that you wait longer. He's not eating on his own, and his bandages need constant changing to make sure that nothing is infected. Pneumonia is not something that can be cured overnight. His fever is gone, but there is still a threat that it could come back. I almost lost him the night he was brought here. I don't want to take any risks," Meyer said.

"I understand. How is Agent Morgan doing?"

"He is much better," Meyer said smiling widely. "He is eating great, and it will seem like no time at all before he starts moving his arms again. He will be ready to get out of the hospital pretty soon."

"That's good news," Hotch said to himself rather than the doctor.

"Is Agent Reid awake now? I gave him some extra pain medication. He should be sleeping by now," Meyer said.

"He asked for more pain medication?"

"He asked a while ago, and I had the nurses put some more into his IV," Meyer said.

Hotch didn't like that at all. That was the last thing Reid needed. The doctor looked through the crack Hotch left open, but he didn't stay in the hallway. He stormed into the room which startled Garcia and J.J.

"I'm going to have to ask you to lie down Spencer," Meyer said. "You can't be sitting up like that yet."

Hotch trailed in behind Meyer, and watched as Reid slowly lied back down. He kept looking at Morgan like he thought Morgan would crack some joke, but no one said anything. Reid's head rested on the pillow, and Garcia stood up to help pull the covers back over him. The doctor looked one more time at Reid, but he left without checking over the stitches. Reid looked upset, but none of them really wanted to be there. It wasn't fun for anyone. It would be better if Reid's body could heal itself in two hours, but that wasn't going to happen. Hotch followed the doctor back out, but he let the doctor get back to his work. Reid looked like he was about to cry, and Hotch knew he was going to hold it in if everyone sat there staring at him.

Hotch poked his head back inside, and Rossi caught his eye. Rossi was always good at reading his mind. He looked at Reid on the bed, and stood up. He ushered to Prentiss, who also got the idea, and they slowly ushered out of the room.

"The sheriff is here to talk to us," Hotch told them from the doorway. "He wants to talk to you Garcia about what you found online."

"What I found online?" Garcia asked.

Rossi got her by the arm, and whispered something into her ear while they walked out. They circled around Hotch to see what the plan was, but he kept one of his eyes focused in the room. Morgan and Reid were talking about something. He could see Reid's mouth moving, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. Hotch was about to turn away when he saw the first tear fall from Reid's eye. Morgan scooted the chair he was on closer to the bed, and awkwardly put his casted up arms on the bed. Hotch heard Morgan say something to the young doctor, and Reid finally let the tears fall freely. He was sobbing quietly against his pillow when Hotch finally shut the door. Both of them needed that.

"He's crying?" Rossi asked.

"Yes," Hotch said. "I think both of them are. This has been really hard on both of them."

"Poor babies," Garcia mumbled.

"He wasn't going to start crying with all of us in there. Good call Hotch," Rossi commented.

"He really just wants to help," Prentiss said. "But it's not a good idea to let him near Harold."

"The doctor said he's not able to," Hotch said. "He said that Reid shouldn't even be going to a hospital closer to home for at least a week. He's been asking for more pain medication. I know he doesn't want all of us knowing about this, but he is part of this team. We watch out for each other through thick and thin. He needs us right now. We can't leave him."

All of them remembered that after Reid got back from his experience with Henkle, he kept the drugs that Henkle gave them. He didn't tell anyone, but it was obvious when he started lashing out at people. Even Prentiss knew something was wrong, and she didn't know him as long as other members on their team. He knew that he shouldn't be comparing Harold to Henkle. Both of them did succeed in taking the youngest member of the team, but they were two different people. Harold kept Reid hidden away for a week. He mentally and physically tortured Morgan and Reid, and he almost succeeded in taking Reid's life.

"You couldn't make us leave if you tried," J.J. said.

Hotch cracked the door back open to the room, and saw that Reid's eyes were closed. His mouth was still open, but he was asleep. The pain medication finally kicked in. Morgan was awake, but he didn't turn around to look at Hotch. He had his hands over Reid's in a protective manner. Morgan would rip off the head of the next person who tried to hurt the kid he considered his younger brother.

"We can't leave Morgan alone either," Hotch said shutting the door again.

"How are we going to find the boys without Harold's help?" J.J. asked.

"The sheriff said his team could have the first floor of the house covered by dawn, but I really don't know. We really do need him to tell us something," Hotch said.

"Do you think he would talk to any of us?" Prentiss asked. "He doesn't like me, but maybe Garcia?"

"Me?" Garcia asked. "Oh, no, no, no! I've already had that monster in my dreams at night. No thank you."

"Or maybe J.J. She is closer to the age bracket of people he abducted," Prentiss continued.

"We could try," Rossi said. "It's better than trying to search a little castle without any clues to go on."

"I'll talk to him," J.J. said. "I don't know if he'd talk to me though. I'm not Reid, and that's who he was asking for."

"You go with Prentiss and Garcia to the police station to see if you can get anything out of him. Don't mention Reid or Morgan at all. Rossi and I will go to the house with the officers to start looking. Call me the second Harold says anything," Hotch said.

Hotch knew that Garcia didn't want to talk to Harold, and he wasn't going to force her to. He just wanted to try all leads before going from room to room in a mansion in the middle of the night. The boys were probably too weak to even scream at that point. He prayed that Harold would talk to J.J. or Garcia. It was hard to ignore somebody like Garcia. She had a very distinct personality that was impossible not to like. Even someone like Harold would find it hard to ignore her. He was sure that she would try talking to him after J.J. did. She wanted to help find the boys just as much as the rest of them did.

_u guys like? any ideas on when it should end? i was thinking when they are on the plane ride back home, but it could keep going forever if i tried. i dont really want that lol. did you guys want reid to have the final meeting with harold? i wont tell you whats going to happen but i would LOVE to hear your thoughts. xoxo_


	54. Chapter 54

_sorry for the super long delay and i dont think any explanations i come up with will satisfy u guys lol. im not abandoing the story and after looking over this chapter, i can tell its almost over. judes role is almost finished, the final confrontation is coming up, and all of u will get 2 see what happens during the trial. with my personal life: i got 2 new puppies who REFUSE 2 potty train so thats been taking up a majority of my time along with work and stuff. so warnings: reid has another violent nightmare and the twins rnt doing 2 well. so enjoy! _

Garcia's heart was pounding as Emily drove J.J. and her over to the station. Most of the photographers and reporters had dwindled away, but there were still a few dedicated employees hoping to get the perfect shot. Garcia didn't mind them as much as the others because she knew they were just doing their job, but if they tried going back to the hospital again, she wouldn't mind tripping them. It was after midnight, and even with the naps that they had that day, all three women were feeling tired. Garcia missed her own bed, but she wouldn't even think of sitting on it until Reid and Morgan were okay. The bad guy was going to get locked away for the rest of his evil life, the little boys would be found, and her heroes would recover with time.

They didn't talk much until they were in the station. The supervising officer let them in without any problems, but Garcia regretted not telling Morgan what they were doing. She was going to, but the last time she saw Morgan was when she peaked in Reid's room. The pain medication put their youngest agent to sleep, and Morgan had his bandaged arms over the younger man in a protective manner. No one had the heart to break up that scene. She just wished it wasn't the medicine that finally calmed Reid down. She knew how badly that he wanted to talk to Harold, and like the others, she thought it was a terrible idea.

"I'll wait out here with Garcia," Emily said. "Do you know what you're going to say?"

"Not really," J.J. said. "I was just going to start talking to him and see where it went."

"I don't think he would tell us where the kids are in just a casual fashion," Emily thought out loud. "He knows that he is in power right now, and he was already trying to get the public against us with that statement he made."

"I'm sure there is some other bargain that can be made with him," J.J. replied.

"The only person he wants to see is Reid," Garcia said quietly.

"I wish that Reid hadn't heard that," Emily said. "He has too much to deal with than adding more of that monster's demands on top of it. That guy is in no position to be telling us what he wants. Those tapes were terrible."

"Please don't mention those tapes," Garcia said. She couldn't even bring herself to think about those awful things that should have been burned the second they were found.

"Okay, I'm just going to try talking to him," J.J. said. "I'm sure the police are searching his house now, but we need his help. We really do. He might let something slip when I talk to him. People do that all the time."

"Most people aren't like Harold," Emily said.

J.J. gave her a look, but followed one of the police men to the back cells where Harold was still being kept. The jail was mostly empty. The few prisoners that were being kept there with either sleeping, or bluntly staring at the girls with their dark eyes. It gave Garcia chills, and she couldn't try to imagine what their crimes were. How could people be so cruel to one another? Just by looking at their faces, she knew they were not there for a traffic violation or stealing food from a store. They were there for hurting others.

"Good evening Harold," J.J. said faintly from the back cell. Her voice echoed throughout the jail.

"How have you been since the last time I saw you? I do believe that it is quite rude to visit somebody past 9pm without a phone call first, but seeing as I have no access to a phone, you could have at least informed the guards so I would be more prepared for a guest. I do detest surprises involving company."

"I'll be sure to call ahead next time," J.J. said. "Would you mind if I come in?"

"Who was that you were talking to out there? It's rather quiet in here, and so my ears are tuned in for any foreign noises. I recognized the voice of one of the other women on your team, Agent Prentiss, but who is the other woman?"

Garcia held her breath. He was already scaring her to pieces, and she had yet to see him face to face. J.J. took a long pause. It was no secret that she was trying to figure out what to say.

"Agent Garcia," J.J. finally said. "She is the one member of our team that you haven't' met yet."

"Then why are you speaking with me instead of her?" Harold asked.

"Because it is late, and neither of us called to let you know we were coming beforehand," J.J. said sharply.

"Touché," Harold told her.

"Would you mind if I came in?" she asked again.

"Both of you are here on the same mission, and that mission is to get information from me about the twins that are being kept in my house," Harold said in a single breath. "I would rather talk to her if you would be so kind. Reid mentioned her quite often in his nightmares. I would love to be able to put a face and personality to the name."

"Will you talk to her?" J.J. asked.

"It would be an honor," Harold said.

"Will you talk to her about the boys?" J.J. pestered.

"Perhaps," Harold said.

"This isn't a game. You know the reason we are here, and if you don't talk to us, we can just leave and you will never meet the last member of the team. Reid's team," J.J. said harshly.

"Fine," Harold said. "I will answer all her questions."

J.J. walked away from him without excusing herself, and Garcia's heart was pounding. She didn't want to talk to that man. She didn't even want to see him. Garcia tried turning around when Emily squeezed her hand. She looked up at Emily, and the other woman offered her a small smile. Garcia had to do this. Morgan and Reid had to put up with the devil incarnated for a week. She could do it for a few minutes.

"Garcia," J.J. whispered when she returned. "You don't have to do this. Harold is full of himself, and I still don't know how much he will really help us."

"He said he would talk about the case with me," Garcia said.

"That means nothing coming from him," Emily argued.

"It is really late," J.J. said softly. "We should probably just leave and try again tomorrow before the trial begins."

"I'm awake," Garcia said suddenly. "Let me talk to him, just for a minute. Reid and Morgan had to talk to him every single day. I can do it just for a few minutes if that means I could help those little boys."

Garcia walked to the back cells before anyone could stop her and before she lost her nerve. She knew that if she waited any longer, talking to Harold would become nothing more than a nightmare to her. She wouldn't be helping anyone, and she wouldn't be any good to the team who were trying so hard to put all of this behind them. Once the twins were found, she was going to sit her butt down on one of the hospital chairs and refuse to leave until her boys were better.

"Hello there," a familiar voice told her.

Garcia looked up from the dirty floor and saw the man she had seen so many times in pictures and video clips from the news. His black hair looked clean, his skin was clear, but his smile still sent creeps down her spine. He could even be considered a handsome man if she saw him during other circumstances, but all she could picture as she looked at him were the scars that Reid still had across his back. She saw the anguish written across Morgan's face in the photographs the monster set them, and she still felt the heartache when Morgan was found and Reid wasn't.

"Hi," Garcia said. "Can I come in?"

"Of course my dear," Harold said moving out of the way. He was taller than her, and he looked to be physically in shape, but he looked out of place in the prison uniform. Garcia sat down on a chair across from the bench, and tried to avoid looking anywhere but at the man in front of her. Harold sat down on the bench, and folded his hands in front of him.

"You certainly don't look like a Garcia to me…" Harold said looking over her. She hated that.

"Can you tell me about the twins?" Garcia asked changing the subject. She didn't want the monster to know anything about her.

"They look exactly alike," Harold said never taking his eyes off of her.

"They look like their mother," Garcia added in an attempt to make the boys seem more human. She knew that Harold was incapable of feeling any kind of emotion or sympathy, but it was worth a shot.

"The boys miss their mother most of all. One of them, I cannot really say which one, keeps having nightmares which usually end with him screaming for his mother. It's rather unsettling. Young Agent Reid never cried out for either one of his parents. He always cried for his team. I would never scream for my parents either in such a dire situation. I suppose that is something we will always have in common."

"You have nothing in common with him," Garcia said quickly. What was keeping her from ripping this nightmare apart?

"Have you given Anne my deepest sympathies?"

"What?" Garcia asked. She thought they were discussing the twins, and then Harold jumped to a new topic without notice.

"Anne," Harold said very slowly like he was explaining something to a child. "My sympathies. Her brother had to die such a terrible death. I just want to let her know that I am sending good thoughts her way."

"Can you tell me if the boys are upstairs or downstairs?" Garcia pestered.

"They are in the house," Harold said. "How did they let someone like you into the FBI? My curiosity is getting the best of me, and I cannot see how even in my wildest imagination. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me?"

"I will tell you my life story if you tell me the location of the twins," Garcia demanded. She wasn't going to get sucked into his games. She wasn't as good as the rest as her team was when it came to dealing with people like Harold, but she wasn't stupid.

"My offer earlier was that I will tell you where the little boys are, but the only person I will tell is Agent Reid. I don't believe you were here when I announced it, but I'm sure you must have seen it on the news. Why do you try to wear every color imaginable in one outfit? Its mind blowing and I cannot tell you that I agree with your fashion sense."

"You just said that you would talk to me about them," Garcia said.

"And so I have," Harold said with a smile. "One of them cries for his mother in his sleep, and they are together somewhere in the manor. We could go into further detail if you would like. The one that got them into this situation, Sean, keeps begging me to let his brother go. His brother is more on the shy side, but they don't like to be separated, not even for a moment. It might have something to do with being locked up…They were very fearful about me killing just one of them. I've taken many guests under my wing, but these boys and the agents were really the only ones who were more concerned about the other than their own lives."

"They are just kids, Harold. They need to go home," Garcia said.

"Some children do not deserve to grow up," Harold said slowly.

"And what gives you the right to decide who lives?" Garcia asked. She was getting upset. She knew she wasn't supposed to show her emotions, but they were talking about children. They were just little boys who were scared to death, and she knew that if they did survive this mess, they would NEVER be the same again.

"As you can clearly see, my dear, I am sitting here in a filthy cell. I am not laying my hands on the twins. If they die, I do believe it is because that was God's will," Harold said with a twinkle his eye. That twinkle made Garcia want to puke. "Oh yes, and one of the boys has a very bad case of diarrhea. I'm not sure which one, you'll have to forgive me for that, but he's getting pretty sick. They don't have much time left."

Garcia stood up, and got out of the cell as quickly as possible. She didn't stop walking until she saw the comfort of J.J. and Emily as the end of the longest hallway imaginable. She heard the guard lock Harold's cell up, but she couldn't look back. She couldn't do it anymore. Little kids were going to die because she couldn't get the monster to talk to her. Her head hung down low on her chest, but her friends didn't say a word while her tears fell. She felt Emily pull her close in a tight hug, but that wasn't going to save the children. She tried, but her tries weren't good enough this time.

* * *

Morgan held tight to Reid's hands as the younger man burst out in tears. His thin frame was trembling, and Morgan hated not to be able to do anything except for hold onto him. He couldn't take back what happened, but he needed to make everything right again. He could do that much. He pulled the brown hair away from Reid's face, and he squeezed Reid's hands to let him know that Morgan was there. In only a few moments, Reid was in a deep sleep. Morgan suspected that pain medication was part of the reason for this exhaustion, but Reid needed his sleep. The rest of the team already excused themselves from the room. They were probably on their way to talk to Harold again, but that son of a bitch wasn't going to tell them anything. As negative as it sounded, it was a waste of time. Morgan wanted to go back to the damned house to search for the kids himself.

When he was sure that Reid was in a deep sleep, he slipped out of the room to grab his phone. He didn't want to leave Reid alone, not even for a minute, but action needed to be done if those boys were going to see sunlight again. He managed to get the phone from his room and back to Reid's bedside without incident. Why did he feel so protective of the younger agent? He couldn't explain it himself, but he never wanted Reid to be alone.

It was hard surfing through his phone without much help from his arms, and while his wrists hurt like hell, he got to his text messages. Nothing was new, but he sent a quick message to Rossi telling him that if the kids weren't found that night, he would talk to Harold in the morning. He was well enough to move around on his own, and Harold would be more likely to talk to him than any of the others. Then he sent to a text to William Reid asking him if he was still in town. If Reid was going to recover, he needed as much support as possible. Reid didn't any siblings that he could reach out to, and it wasn't possible for his mother to visit him. The only family member that could see him was his father, but Morgan knew that their relationship was strained.

Rossi texted back with a message that he was with Hotch at the manor. The sheriff brought dogs with them to help with the search, but there were so many strange smells in that house already. Morgan wouldn't be surprised if they found more bodies somewhere that Harold just happened to forget about. Morgan never had the honor of seeing the rest of the place that Harold called home, but he imagined it to be like some kind of museum with skeletons and tales of the dead. William never texted back, but it was late. He would write back in the morning. Morgan was planning to ask the doctor for release papers when the nurse came to check on him. He was sick of the hospital, he was sick of the constant hustle of the nurses and patients, and he was sick of the bad smells. If he was lucky, he would be at the police station before the rest of the team even knew he was released. He was going to find those boys.

* * *

Rossi didn't tell Hotch that Morgan was texting. That man didn't need anymore pressure or stress on his shoulders. He was talking with the sheriff about how to best approach searching the mansion. It didn't seem like there was an easy way, and even with the large amount of police officers with their handy dogs, Harold had added many secret passageways with hidden rooms that weren't going to be easy to find. Harold liked his privacy for sure, but that was probably an understatement. Harold was insane. The full moon casted an eerie glow on the already creepy replica of Dracula's castle. It reminded Rossi too much of the night they rescued Reid, Morgan, and Susan. Rossi just prayed this wasn't a bad omen. Most people were afraid of full moons these days, and while Rossi loved to tell stories about urban legends from yesteryear, he tried to think of anything else that was opposite of the scary stories and superstitions that kept people inside on a night like this. It was hard to believe that two little boys were locked somewhere in the house.

"It's strange that Harold didn't keep them in the rooms next to Reid and Morgan," Rossi commented when Hotch walked back over.

"He didn't want to kill them," Hotch said as he looked over the massive floor plans. "He just wanted to teach them a lesson."

"I don't think they will be in one of the front rooms," Rossi said. "There would be too much chance of them being able to attract attention from someone outside. Even if they were locked up, they would be able to find a way."

"I told the sheriff that we should start the search in the basement," Hotch said. "The staff was rarely down there, and it's large enough to hide people without anyone noticing. It makes sense to me."

"But it seems obvious," Rossi said sighing. "He didn't seem nervous at all when he told the media about it. If it was easy as finding them in the basement, wouldn't he have kept his mouth shut?"

"He has an ego. He's proud of what he done," Hotch argued.

"Yes, but he's smart. He's clever. He knows that the first places we will look is the basement and the attic. They will not be easy to find, and that's why he is demanding to talk to Reid. He knows that we will not be able to find the kids on our own."

"And one of the boys is sick," Hotch said after glancing at his phone. "Garcia just talked to him, and that's really all he told her. She's really upset."

"We all are," Rossi said.

"I'm still going to have the police start in the basement," Hotch said. "There are probably hidden rooms down there as well. The dogs will be able to sniff them out. We have to start somewhere, and I don't think sending the troops in there on their own is a good idea. I don't think the house has traps in it, but I don't want to take any chances."

"It's too easy to get lost," Rossi said agreeing.

Rossi watched the police go into the house, but turned his attention back to the windows on the front of the house. He scanned each one of them, looking for any movement at all, but all was quiet and dark. Not only were the twins tied up in there, but they were sitting in the dark. He wondered what one of them was sick with, and if they were going to be able to hold out for a little bit longer. Rossi wasn't going to give up, and he would stay there all night if it meant saving the lives of the boys. He didn't care about the trial, and he wouldn't until the kids were safe at home. Harold was going to get his karma. Rossi just wished he was there when it happened so he could punch him before karma gave him the death penalty.

He finally followed them inside, holding his gun in front of him. Like Hotch said, the house probably wasn't full of traps, but he wasn't going to take the risk. He was also going to be on the look out for more bodies or even more victims. Just because Harold didn't mention anyone else besides the twins, it didn't mean there weren't more. It would be just like that bastard to "forget" having ten more people being held captive in his house. Once the boys were found and the house was locked up for good, Rossi would keep his ears open for any ghost stories that the locals would tell. It would only be a matter of time before people claimed to be hearing screams in the night from the house that was the last thing many people saw before their untimely death.

The downstairs lights were turned on, but that didn't make the house any less creepy. Rossi couldn't see what was up the first staircase he came to because of how black it was up there, and that gave him the chills. Morgan never got to have a good look at his prison, and Reid was out of it by the time he got out of that room, but Rossi wondered what they would think of the place once they saw it. They had no idea that any of this would happen when they first got the notice of all of the bodies and the missing girl. He supposed that was true for any case they got, but who would have guessed that Morgan and Reid would end up in a hospital? This case almost cost them their lives. The police team were already in the basement, but they had a lot to look over before they could even begin to search for hidden rooms. Rossi knew that Morgan was right. They were going to need Harold's help by morning, but Rossi didn't think Harold would talk to any of them except Reid.

Rossi watched enough of the tapes to know that Harold did not like Morgan. Their personalities clashed whenever they were in the same room, and he didn't think Morgan would be able to talk to the man for more than a minute without threatening his life. Rossi couldn't blame him of course, but it would be a waste of time for them to talk. Harold liked to call Rossi "old", and the only thing that was of any concern to Harold when he talked to Hotch was why the man didn't smile. Rossi could think up of at least a million reasons of why Hotch wasn't grinning, but that was besides the point. Harold didn't like women as much as men. All Garcia could get out of him was that one of the poor boys were sick, and all J.J. conquered at the party was getting scared out of her mind. The only member of the team that remained was Reid.

"Rossi? Are you up here?" Hotch's voice asked from one of the staircases.

"I'm here," Rossi told him.

Hotch had his gun in front of him still, but he found Rossi with ease.

"Why aren't you downstairs?" Hotch asked.

"I don't think the boys are down there. I can just feel it," Rossi said finally looking away from the stillness of the second level. "Aaron, if we are going to find those boys, we need Harold's help. Look at this place. I think the only things those dogs are going to find are decaying bodies or more victims. The boys were special to him. Didn't he say that he wanted to teach them a lesson?"

"I don't think he was going to keep them here for long," Hotch said. "He acts like he loves children, but he would turn on them too eventually."

"Look around," Rossi said. "I mean, we do have the floor plans, but that doesn't cover the whole house and that's not including the grounds themselves. We know that he has a stable, and I'm not sure how many sheds he has around here."

"You're right, but Harold's not talking."

"If Reid is up for it, maybe we should consider," Rossi started.

"We can't. Reid isn't in the condition to be thinking like that. He's weak, and I'm not making him face the man who did that to him."

"I know," Rossi said resigning. "I just think that it's something we should think about. It would only be for a minute, and nothing would happen to him."

"It might be enough for him to have a mental breakdown. You weren't there when we had the Henkle case. The man had multiple personality disorder, and Reid somehow ended up tied to an old chair in a shed. I'm surprised he walked away from that, and this is so much worse. I don't him going through anything else."

"Well, then maybe we can see if Morgan can talk to him," Rossi said after a moment of silence. Both of them knew that wasn't going to work, but neither one wanted to admit it.

"Keep Morgan's number handy," Hotch said. "We'll talk to him in the morning if we don't find anything."

Rossi nodded his head, but didn't move to follow Hotch when he went to rejoin the others downstairs. He felt terrible for even suggesting that Reid see Harold again, but he didn't know what else to do. He didn't want the little boys to die because the house was too big, and if one of them was sick, they really were limited on time. What else could he do? He looked out of one of the windows, and his eyes grazed over the dark green grass across the lawn. It really was beautiful, but most graveyards did have a certain kind of beauty about them.

* * *

Nikki sat in a corner of Julie's room while a group of other kids showed up. Julie supplied all of them with alcohol, and it wasn't long before they were making promises that none of them were able to keep. There was a reason that minors couldn't have alcohol. Nikki was just waiting for one of them to jump out the window because they thought they could fly. Nikki didn't touch the alcohol, but it didn't matter if she did. Jude had her hands tied behind her back with some rope that Julie supplied. Julie wasn't a bad girl. She helped Nikki a lot with school projects, but alcohol and drugs can really mess up people's minds. Nikki had no idea how long pretty Julie was doing meth, but once is too many times. Julie was going to end up losing her life to the drug, but nobody was making any attempts to stop her. Her daddy thought his little princess could do no wrong. He was going to be in for a big shocker.

"I'm just goin go in there, and I'm goin like blow that place apart," Alex choked out in between sips of his beer.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know, the place, with the cops, and stuff, and guns. Yeah, guns," Alex said. He burped, and passed out on the carpet.

"Big help he was," Julie said.

"I think we just need to go down to the hospital," Jude said. He was the only one besides Nikki who wasn't drinking. Nikki didn't think that qualified as a good leader in the least.

"Can we kill all the pigs?" Jake asked.

"We're only going to kill one of them, but we have to make this plan work," Jude said. "The last plan was pretty well thought out, and you all see how that ended."

"That was cuz they were all stupid," Jake said.

"And fat," Carrie laughed.

"How are we supposed to get away with it?" Julie asked. She smelled terrible.

"We tie up the pig we get, shoot them in the head at the park or something, and scatter before the rest of the feds find us," Jude said

"That's not going to work you guys," Nikki said. She immediately regretted opening her mouth. Jude didn't say a word when he walked up to her. He formed his right hand into a fist, and punched her in the eye. Swelling began instantly, and she wasn't able to open her right eye. She felt warm tears fall from her face, but she didn't cry. She wouldn't cry. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. None of the other kids said anything which hurt. She knew most of them were drunk, but even the ones that weren't drinking that much didn't say a word to stop Jude. They just watched.

"Can we use one of your dad's vans?" Jude asked once he sat back on her king sized bed.

"One of the ones with the big beds in back?"

"One that will fit all of us in it. We get him in the car, shoot him, and push him out on the side of the road somewhere. Just make sure the license plate isn't real. They can track us down using that thing."

"How do you know that they will just give up an agent just for Nikki? I mean, she's like a nobody who failed that last Math test," Jake said.

"Cuz she's an innocent you dumb ass," Carrie said.

"They put civilian lives before their own," Julie explained.

"But even a sick agent? I saw pictures of that guy you were talking about on the news. I don't think that dude can walk," Jake argued.

"Then we'll just demand the girl, no biggie. That cunt got some of our friends arrested," Jude said. "It's her fault that we are here in the first place. Women shouldn't be working in our government. They are no as smart or as strong as men are."

"Except Xena," Jake said. "She was hot."

"Didn't she get beheaded at the end?" Betty asked from underneath the bed.

"Did you see that woman's legs? That's how I spend lonely nights," Jake said proudly. Those few words engraved an image in Nikki's mind that would never go away.

"Stop getting off topic," Julie said.

"We do this first thing in the morning. I want to get all of the agents, if possible, at the hospital. Once we are certain that they are all there, I'll send Jake out to the front with Nikki. He can announce our demands, and we can go from there," Jude said.

"We can all sleep here tonight," Julie said happily. "We have like a million guest bedrooms, and daddy loves it when I have friends over."

"I'll take the room next to this one," Jude said. Julie nodded in approval, and Jude grabbed Nikki by the chair. She somehow found her feet, and unwillingly followed him into the next room.

He opened the door, and shoved her into the room before the lights were on. She slammed into a little desk by the window, and fell to her knees. A bruise was forming on her thigh, and her face was still hurting like hell from the earlier punch. She wanted her mother badly. She didn't get up when he shut the door behind him. It was a pretty room with light blue wallpaper, and a view that Nikki felt she should pay money for from out the window, but all she could focus on was Jude. He circled around the queen sized bed, and threw a book at her that he found sitting on the covers. It missed her by inches, but her heart was pounding.

"Please Jude, I don't want to die," Nikki said slowly.

"And you shouldn't have to die. It should be all of those PIGS working for the government. The FBI, CIA, cops, city people…all of them need to die!"

"Then why are you doing this to me?"

"You just have to be the sacrificial lamb," Jude said. "Once people realize what's happening, they are going to wake up. The government has been lying to us for so many years, and it's going to be hard to change the system around, but I think it needs to be start by getting the women out of the jobs meant for men. Studies have shown that women are not intelligent enough to grasp anything higher than simple Mathematics."

"Women are just as smart as men. Most of your teachers were women, and they taught you things that you didn't know existed before."

"They only know what they know because of a man," Jude said. "I borrowed some drugs off of Julie. I knew that you wouldn't be sleeping tonight because of the rope, but I can't risk you walking away while I'm asleep."

He had circled back around the bed, and jabbed Nikki in the arm with some needle she didn't notice before. She kicked her legs up to stop him, but it wasn't fast enough to stop the mysterious liquid from entering her system. Jude stared at her for a minute, but when he was convinced she was out of it, he crawled into bed. He wrapped the covers around his body, and faced the other way when he lied down.

Nikki's world was becoming hazy. She could barely see what was in front of her, and she couldn't stop it. She didn't even have time to ask what drug it was that Jude gave her or how he knew the right amount to put her to sleep without killing her. Jude was smart but not in the way he thought he was. Knowing him, he gave her enough drugs that would kill her. She would never wake up again, and these were the terrifying thoughts that were racing through her mind as her body succumbed to the drug. She was gone before her head hit the floor.

* * *

_Reid's arms were held high above his head, but he couldn't see anything around him. It was dark, but the smell of blood and urine kept him awake. His heart was pounding against his ribcage, and his toes were sending sharp pains up his body from the cold. Was Morgan there? Was anybody there? Reid stretched out his fingers, but he felt nothing except for the cold table holding him up. His back was on fire, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his breath under control. Wasn't anyone trying to find him? Had they all forgotten about him? He couldn't remember how long he was there, but he was certain that Morgan had long ago left him. The team was focused on Morgan's recovery, and left Reid to fend for himself in Harold's world._

"_I hope you slept well," Harold's voice said cruelly. _

"_Go away," Reid told him weakly. He hated being kept on his stomach. The table was pressing against every single rib individually, and Reid wasn't able to look around the room was much as he was used to. He was going to die on the table. He knew it._

"_Now, why would I want to do that? We are having such a good time together, and I love to entertain my guests."_

_Reid felt the familiar metal of the cat's claw being pressed between his shoulder blades and he took in a deep breath. Why wasn't the team there yet? He was so scared because he knew what was coming, but he couldn't stop it. No matter what he told Harold, it wasn't going to stop the torture. _

"_Please Harold, I'll do whatever you want," Reid cried out. He couldn't stop the tears from coming. They came on their own accord, but he knew he should be grateful for the tears at all. He was badly dehydrated._

"_But you are already doing what I want my friend," Harold replied._

_Harold pressed the metal deep into Reid's flesh, and dragged the blade down. Reid screamed, and tried moving his back, but that only made things worse. He felt his muscles ripping open, and the blood was just pouring out of his back. It was impossible to keep any air in his lungs because he couldn't stop the primitive screams that were coming out of his mouth. The pain wouldn't stop as the claws were pulled all the way down his back and onto his buttocks. The skin was torn open, and Reid felt scars being formed that would never heal._

_By the time the claws reached his upper thighs, he couldn't scream anymore. He just couldn't. Weak cries were escaping from his sore throat, but he couldn't make any other sounds. When the claws reached the back of his knees, Reid was silent. His head just lay quietly on the table, and Reid could only wonder if he was still alive. Why hadn't he fallen unconscious yet? Why was God putting him through such a cruel fate?_

"_You are so beautiful," Reid faintly heard Harold say behind him. Reid heard the unzipping of a pair of pants and the table shifted under the weight of another body. Reid didn't think he would be able to fight anymore, but an entirely new struggle began. He clawed at the corners at the table, and bucked his hips violently whenever he felt Harold's dirty hands on them, but his fight didn't last long. Harold somehow got his legs apart, and Reid felt Harold's hard member against his entrance. Reid screamed louder than ever when Harold forced himself inside. Delicate tissue was torn back open, and warm blood was covering his thighs within seconds of the violation. _

* * *

Reid woke up screaming near 4am in his hospital bed. His long hair was sticking to his face, and it took longer than usual for him to figure out where he was. His head was aching, and the stitches were torn open in more than one place. He felt the cold blood where he was sitting, and his fingers were still trembling. The dream felt so real. Even the pace of his own breathing was scaring him, and he wanted nothing more than to go home. He wanted to sleep in his own bed again. After a few seconds of gathering his racing thoughts, he spotted Morgan near the door of the room. Morgan wasn't saying anything, and Reid thought he was asleep at first.

'The nightmares aren't getting better?" Morgan finally asked.

"What do you want me to say?" Reid felt guilty for waking Morgan up, but he couldn't help it. His heart was still pounding, and he was sure a nurse would come in to check on him pretty soon.

"I still get nightmares too pretty boy," Morgan said standing up. "But they aren't as violent as yours."

"I can't help it."

"You have to know that I'm not letting anyone hurt you. Harold's trial is tomorrow, and I don't think that we're going to stay for the whole thing. The son of a bitch is going to get convicted, and we are going to move on with our lives."

"What about the twins?"

"Rossi and Hotch are at the house looking for them now. I think they have a huge SWAT team and search dogs," Morgan said.

"So you think they will be found?"

"I'm sure of it. You know how Hotch is when he wants something. Those kids will be found by sunrise, and your nightmares will get better when we are away from here."

Reid wasn't too sure about his nightmares going away, but he did want to get out of there as soon as possible. Reid rested his head back down on the pillow, and Morgan scooted closer to the bed. Reid's eyes settled down on the bandages across Morgan's wrists.

"Go back to sleep. It's late, and I'll be right here in case you have anymore nightmares," Morgan assured him.

Reid closed his eyes, and found a way to drown out the noises of the busy hospital around him. He knew it was the pain killers working magic in his system, but he didn't care. It didn't matter as long as he was able to sleep. He didn't have much time to think about anything before his mind took him away to a deep but unsettling sleep.

* * *

Harold was up bright and early the next morning. The trial didn't start until noon, but he wanted to be on top of his game. The trial wasn't what was on his mind though. There was little he could do to change the outcome of that. He would look his best, and keep his manners while he was spoken to, but that was about all he could do. He didn't think they would give him the death penalty. That was too harsh, and saved for people who killed children. Harold thought he was bound to get life in prison with a possibility of a parole. He was sure that his mother would bail him out the first chance she got. If she ever spoke to him again after that would be an entirely different story, and one that he didn't care to know himself. What Harold was really preparing himself for was to finally see Reid again. The male agents were searching his house all night to find the boys. That was the only reason Harold could think of as to why they were not visiting him last night. They thought they could find the boys without Harold's help. Harold only wished he could see the looks on their worn out faces when they realized they were wrong.

"You have visitors this morning Mr. Caldwell," a guard tapping at his cell door said.

"Of course I do," Harold said smiling. "I was just getting ready."

The fat guard escorted him down to one of the secured conference rooms, and against his wishes, Harold was handcuffed to the table. Was it truly necessary to go to these kinds of extremes? Harold was just going to talk to his beloved friend. Talking rarely amounted to any kind of violence, but he figured it was for his own protection. Reid might have brought his darker friend with him, and that was a man Harold never wanted to see again. A handcuff around Harold's ankle was connected to his chair, and even then, another guard insisted on being present during the conversation. He wished that they had allowed to him to dress in the suit he would be wearing to the trial. He didn't feel comfortable in the common prisoner outfit.

Harold ran his tongue over his lips when the door handle turned, and just as he was getting ready to greet his beautiful friend, he saw it was Morgan. Harold could just see the other agents behind the door, but Morgan was the only one who walked in. He sat across from Harold, and Harold smiled at the bandages covering the muscled man arms. He still wished him dead. If Markus had been doing his job, this little incident wouldn't be happening. Morgan was supposed to be dead, but no matter.

"Good morning," Harold said as nicely as he could with a smile. "I trust you slept well?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Morgan asked back.

"I do believe it is terribly rude to answer a question with another question. I was hoping that you might have learned some manners from the time you dropped off and now, but I see I was wrong."

"Where did you put those boys?" Morgan asked.

"They are somewhere in the manor," Harold said. "I think that people learn manners from the time they are a very small child. I could understand better if Agent Reid didn't know how to behave properly with the problems he had with his father, and then his mother being…the sad way she is, I don't know why he has better manners than you."

"Answer my question," Morgan growled.

"I did, but it is you who are not following my simple request of wanting to tell Agent Reid. The reporters certainly seemed shocked when I told them that your team would rather have children die than let me see Reid."

"No, what you are doing is slithering your way around my question. You are in no place to making demands."

"Feisty, aren't we?"

"Are the boys upstairs somewhere?" Morgan continued.

"The boys are together, but I'm pretty sure they are starving by now. It's a shame really. They were making such good progress."

"And by good progress, you mean dying, right?" Morgan asked.

"By good progress, I mean that they were learning to speak when spoken to, no more cursing or threatening, and I don't think they will be doing anymore pranks for quite a while. Reid sees me every night in his dreams, doesn't he? He probably wakes the entire hospital up by screaming my name."

"He hasn't mentioned your name once," Morgan said. Harold knew he was lying.

"He thinks about me every night. He finds it hard to sleep at night because he can't get me out of his mind. He's a very gentle soul, and so when something bad happens, he'll shut down entirely and try to keep the rest of the team away. Am I correct? He never mentioned to me but I would be shocked if the poor thing didn't suffer from drug or alcohol problems. He works for the FBI, I know, but some things can be kept private."

"We are not here to discuss him. What happened to Shane and Sean? Are they even still alive? Are they upstairs?"

"They are together, and I'm fairly certain they will die together," Harold said. "The last time I saw them was right before the party that two of your friends attended. I haven't seen after that, but they were never my priority."

"You need to tell me where they are."

"I told you already. They are at my place of residence. I hope to be going back there soon enough. Can you imagine all of the dust that is covering my furniture by now? It's terrible. I had the hired help dust the house once a week, but that meant a section every day. It was the only way to keep the house clean. It must be horrible by now."

"Tell me about your brother," Morgan said.

"My brother?"

"Yes. I believe his name was Michael."

* * *

Shane tried so hard to listen for any kind of movement from the walls around them, but it was silent. The morning sun was shining through their dirty window, but that was the only indication of the time. Shane's stomach wasn't rumbling for hunger anymore. It had given up on food just like he had given up on ever getting out again. He could barely feel his fingers held above his head, and his feet looked whiter than he remembered. Sean was sleeping next to him, but he found it hard to look away from the bloody stains covering Sean's pale back. Sean was sleeping a lot more than he probably should have been, but Shane figured it was because of the terrible diarrhea his twin was suffering from. Shane had a nasty cough, but he would give anything to help his brother.

Harold wasn't coming back. Both of them accepted that and moved on, but what did that mean? Harold wasn't that old so the probability of him dying wasn't high. That left the choices of him moving away or the police finding him. It was also possible that Harold just got bored with them, and chose never to come back again but that didn't seem likely. Shane had no idea how long they were prisoners there, but Harold wouldn't put them through all of this just to ignore them later so either the police came or he moved away. If the police found him though, why weren't the boys rescued? Why weren't they home already with their sister and her stupid cat? The police were supposed to search the house once they arrested Harold, but Shane never heard a single peep coming from anywhere in the rest of the house. They were alone, and they were sick.

"Wake up Sean," Shane said quietly.

Sean's hands were hanging limply from the chains, and for a split second, Shane thought his brother was dead. He held his breath until he saw Sean open his eyes. Even with his eyes open, Sean looked like a ghost of his former self.

"What is it?" Sean asked.

"How are you feeling?" Shane asked. He looked down at his twin's soiled pants, and then back across his thin frame. How much weight had they lost?

"We're going to die here," Sean coughed up.

"I know," Shane said. He tried again to reach for his brother's limp hand again, but the chains across his wrists wouldn't give him the access.

"I'm scared too," Sean whispered.

_so please please please review! i promise that if i get LOTS of reviews, the next chapter will come up quickly and the loooong story that was just an idea like a year ago will be coming 2 an end. it makes me sad but all stories must end. and for those of u reading the old south, the update for that one is just around the corner. until next time! xoxo_


	55. Chapter 55

_so here is chapter 55. i was just writing my little intro, then got kicked offline, and so now im writing the intro again. even tho i just did. i hate u computer. anyways, ive been busy so sorry for the delay. im trying 2 get ready 2 move 2 another state, and i finally just applied 2 get my Master's Degree so how cool is that? yay! it's harder 2 write this story now too but it's probably because i am limited with what i can do with it and i have my other story that probably should have waited until i finished this one. but manor is almost over. just remember, it can change direction at ANY moment lol. oh and p.s. i think its AWSUM that matthew's directed episode is also about a manor =) _

Reid wished that he could look out the window. He wished that he could get any other view than the nurses running back and forth in the hallway outside his room. His broken arm really limited him to the positions that he could lie in, and he hated it. The team ran back and forth all night long. They didn't tell Reid what they were doing, but he suspected it had something to do with the missing boys. Reid didn't ask, but he knew that Morgan was gone. Morgan was probably trying to get some information out of Harold, but Harold wasn't stupid. He was an intelligent man, and that's why he had been able to get away with this for so long, but he was human. Humans made mistakes, and Reid was sure that Harold made a mistake somewhere down the line. He had to have mentioned the boys at least once.

Reid shifted in his bed, but it didn't do much good. The nurses checked on him constantly to try and save him from the possibility of bed sores, but it was too late for that. He was sore all over, but at least his wounds were finally healing properly. He would be able to walk away from his private hell soon enough, but those little boys wouldn't be able to if Reid didn't help. What was he missing? Harold liked children, or so he said. He wouldn't have put them in a room like where Morgan and Reid were held. Their room would be cleaner, probably warmer, but still out of the watchful eyes of those working in the house. He swung his legs over the bed, and forced his still tired and aching body into a sitting position. It didn't hurt that badly. He was sure that he would be able to walk if one of his legs was not secured tightly in a cast.

Reid tried thinking back. That was more painful than anything that was wrong with his body. His heart was pounding against his chest, and he had to fight just to get his breathing under control. He didn't need any nurses coming in to check on him. He needed to concentrate. Markus never mentioned anyone living in the house. Reid couldn't rely on Markus to tell the truth even if his life depended on it. The only person Markus cared about was Markus. If Reid had to find out if the twins were ever mentioned to him, he'd have to go back to his memories with Harold. Reid closed his eyes like the people he interviewed when they needed a piece of information that their immediate memories couldn't find.

He took a deep breath, and tried to put himself back in that room in one of the upstairs corridors. The tip of his nose was cold; his arms were aching high above his head, and the only thing he could really smell was blood. Morgan wasn't there anymore. Harold was proud, but he wouldn't give away anything that Morgan and Reid would be able to figure out together. If Harold mentioned the twins, he would have talked after Morgan was gone. Reid's fingers form a tight fist as he forced himself to look around the room that was almost his tomb. It was dark. It was always dark there, but Reid could see perfectly. He could recite the list of questionable instruments hangings from the wall by the small dresser. He could perfectly describe the glass that the lemon juice was kept in, and he still quivered when he thought about the juice burning deep in his wounds. He could see everything in that room, but he couldn't remember Harold ever mentioning other prisoners.

Harold was tall with black hair and brown eyes. He was of average weight, and he always kept his dark hair slicked back to match the appearance of Clark Gable. Reid couldn't remember ever seeing him wearing anything other than his tuxedo. Even when the well-mannered man was raping Reid, he still smelled strongly of cologne. Reid didn't think he would ever be able to wear cologne again.

"Good morning," a quiet voice told him.

Reid first thought this was all happening from his memory. The voice sounded like Harold's, and Reid was still sitting on the bed with his eyes closed, but the voice didn't belong to Harold. It was deeper, and it sounded closer. Reid slowly opened his eyes, and found a man standing only a few feet from him. Reid scooted further back in his bed without thinking. The man looked a lot like Harold. He was a few years older, but the similarity was certainly there. He was even wearing the tuxedo that Harold loved so much.

The team was still out, and Reid had already seen the doctor that morning. He was virtually alone in the hospital, and if the man standing in front of him had a gun in that jacket, Reid would be dead in a few minutes. This man had all the reason in the world to kill Reid. If this man really was Harold's father, Reid was the source of their unhappiness. All he would have to do was shoot Reid in the head, and that would be it. As much as Reid wanted to hide under his sheets and tell the stranger to go away, he wasn't going to do that. If this man had come to kill Reid, he was going to face him head on.

"I don't believe we've met," the man said when Reid still hadn't spoken up. "My name is Victor Caldwell."

"Hello," Reid replied. He was surprised that his voice was still working. Victor was going to pull a gun out of his jacket, and that would be it. Reid's beating heart was trying to jump out of his chest.

"You're Spencer Reid?" Victor asked.

"Yes, I am," Reid answered. Reid's jaw was clenched shut. He didn't want to be breathing out of his mouth. He didn't want to show Harold's father how scared he really was.

Victor took a step forward, but Reid held his ground. His rear end was starting to burn from the pressure put on it, but Reid wasn't going to hide. If these were his last moments, he was going to take them facing forward. He just wished his team would get back. He knew that they left him alone thinking he was safe in the hospital, and how were they to know that Harold's father would find him? Reid wasn't afraid to die. He just didn't want to die alone.

* * *

Victor found Agent Reid's room easy enough. The hard part was sneaking away from his wife, but she was distracted that morning with their son's trial being on the way. She was at the court house even before she had breakfast. Victor told her that he was going to stay behind to let the servants know the plan for the day, but he slipped out only 20 minutes after she left. The servants already knew what to do. Most of them had been working there for over 10 years. If his wife wasn't so worried about Harold, she would have seen right away that Victor was lying, but it never got to that. She just told him to meet her at the court house when he was done, and after a peck on the cheek, she was out the door. Victor had a quick breakfast, and drove to the hospital. He didn't ask his normal driver to take him there. He didn't want anyone knowing where he was.

Most of the reporters had left the hospital long ago. They lost hope of seeing the wounded agents leave anytime soon, and so they packed up their supplies, and headed over to where Harold was to take pictures of the trial. Victor got in the hospital without having to ID himself, and after wandering around for about an hour, he finally found the right room. It was hidden away from the other rooms, but what gave it away was the police officers he saw walking around. They weren't really guarding the room, but they were there. Victor let himself in when their backs were turned, and he found himself face to face with a skinny young man sitting on the edge of his bed. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady. Victor guessed he was mediating.

"Good morning," Victor quietly said. He didn't really want to interrupt the mediation, but he didn't really have much time.

The young agent opened eyes, and after he registered Victor's face, he scooted further back on the bed. Victor could understand the immediate fear. He did look a lot like Harold.

"I don't believe we've met. My name is Victor Caldwell," Victor said with a pleasant smile.

"Hello," Reid answered in a voice just above a whisper.

"You're Spencer Reid?" Victor asked. Victor was nearly confident this was the young man that everyone was constantly talking about, but there wasn't a sign hanging on the door.

"Yes, I am," Reid said.

Victor took a step forward, and looked over the agent's skinny body. The hospital gown hung over him like a bag. Both of his wrists and ankles were wrapped up in tight bandages, and he had a cast over one of his legs. The skin on his face was terribly pale, and Victor could see another white covering on his forehead. The media wasn't lying about his condition.

"Can I see your back?" Victor asked circling around the bed.

The agent didn't say anything, but Victor bent down and unhooked the top knot of the hospital gown. It opened slightly, but Victor couldn't see any flesh at all. Most of his back was covered with large bandages, and a few of them had red marks seeping through from the other side. A lump was caught in Victor's throat, and that lump was impossible to swallow. His son did all of this. His son tried to kill this young man, and from the looks of it, he almost succeeded.

The agent suddenly jumped out of the bed, and turned around to face Victor. His skin looked even whiter than it was before, and Victor could see how difficult it was for the kid to stand on only one of his legs. He didn't know this kid, but he was worried about if any of the stitches were torn open from this drastic movement. He didn't want the boy to hurt any more.

"Don't touch me," the kid said with a shaky voice.

"What? I'm not going to hurt you," Victor said. He raised both of his hands to show the agent that he wasn't holding a gun.

"Then what do you want?"

"I just wanted to…" Victor started, but he stopped. He didn't really know what he wanted. "My wife had me convinced that you weren't even real. You were just a name to us, and your list of injuries kept getting bigger and bigger. I wanted to see if you really existed. I want to help you."

Agent Reid nodded his head, and looked down at the floor. Victor knew that it was hard for anyone to believe him because of who is son was, but he wasn't lying. He wasn't going to hurt this young man.

"You need to sit back down," Victor said. He backed away from the bed, and Reid made his way back to the bed. He sat down very slowly, and Victor sat down in a chair near the door.

"Why do you want to help me?" he asked.

"I didn't raise my son to be a monster," Victor said. "What can I do?"

Agent Reid thought for a moment. He ran his tongue over his lips, and looked back up at Victor.

"Harold was raised in that house with his brother, right?" the young agent asked.

"Yes," Victor said. "I moved out with my wife after our older son died. The manor held too many bad memories, but Harold kept living there."

"How many rooms did you give to the boys?" he asked.

"I don't know," Victor said thinking back. "When they were younger, they shared a bedroom, but they each had two bedrooms. One was for them, and the other was in case they ever had company over. I also gave them each a play room, a study room, and a library. They never really liked the same kind of books."

"So they had five bedrooms each?" Reid asked.

"Yes, I guess so," Victor answered.

"Were any of the rooms further away from the main parts of the house?"

"Well, their seconds bedrooms weren't really close. I wanted them to have privacy if they ever had company over. You know how it is when you have friends over. You don't want your parents spying on you. Their other rooms were closer to the main ones."

"Was Michael's spare bedroom ever used after he died?" Reid asked.

"I don't think so. What is this about?" Victor asked.

"The missing twins," Reid said. "I think we just figured out where they are."

* * *

Morgan refused to take his eyes off of the monster in front of him. He wanted to make Harold nervous. He didn't know that much information about Harold's brother. He knew that Michael died when he was younger, and that Harold was most likely behind it. He knew that the two brothers had some kind of incestuous affair, and that Michael looked a lot like Reid.

"What about Michael?" Harold asked coldly.

"Why did you kill him? Did you push him down that staircase or did you stick your foot out just in time for him to trip?" Morgan asked.

"I didn't kill him," Harold said simply.

"Did you kill him because he was leaving you? You didn't want him to go to college, did you?"

"I didn't kill him," Harold repeated.

"Or did you kill him because he finally got a girlfriend?" Morgan pushed.

Harold finally snapped. He got on his feet, and leaned against the table. He almost managed to grab Morgan with his one free hand before the police finally got him back under control. Morgan smiled. The son of a bitch really did kill his big brother.

"Did you find out he was having sex with her? Is that why you pushed him?"

"The only person he ever slept with was me," Harold growled. "He loved me."

"I think he loved his girlfriend too. He was finally growing out of sleepovers with his brother, and that made you flip out. He never should have tried to leave you."

"He deserved to die and so do you," Harold said. Morgan kept his eyes on the bastard, but the stare down from the psychopath was disturbing.

"What about you?" Morgan asked.

"They aren't going to sentence me to death. I'm going to keep on living in this world and haunting your every memory," Harold said. "Reid is going to die. He may not die today, but he will die soon it will be my hand."

"You're in jail and you're still threatening him you son of a bitch?" Morgan asked.

"I am not threatening anyway," Harold said smiling. "I would love to talk to you further, but my trial is starting soon, and I need to catch up with my lawyer. I'll see you this afternoon."

Hotch walked in, but he didn't try to stop the police from taking Harold back to his cell. Morgan slammed his fist on the table, and kicked one of his legs under the table. The meeting with Harold accomplished nothing. He tried to get the monster to talk, and while he did make the man snap once, it wasn't enough to get him to tell the location of the twins.

"It's okay Morgan," Hotch said. "We need to get ready for the trial too, and you need to get back to the hospital."

"I don't want to go back," Morgan said. "I want to get to that manor and find those kids."

"You're not going anywhere near that house," Hotch said helping Morgan to his feet.

"Those boys are going to die if we don't find them today," Morgan argued. He knew how scared those kids felt. They were sick and they were alone. He couldn't let them die.

"Reid needs you too," Hotch said slowly. "He's awake, and he's getting over his pneumonia, but he still has a long way to go. He can't be alone right now. He needs you."

"I know," Morgan said looking at Hotch.

"We weren't there for him the last time. We can't make the same mistake this time. You know that he was already asking the doctor for more pain killers. We need to keep an eye on him."

"What about the twins?" Morgan asked.

"After the trial starts, I'm going back to the house. We're going to find them. Don't worry about that," Hotch said.

Morgan looked into Hotch's eyes, and they shared a moment of silence. Words weren't needed. Hotch wasn't with them in that house, and he wasn't there when Morgan and Reid bled, but he suffered all the same. Morgan knew that despite his exterior frame, he was suffering the entire time that Harold held two of his team members captive. He was still suffering because of what happened to them, and Morgan was positive that Hotch was never going to forgive himself for not finding Morgan and Reid sooner. Hotch could tell Morgan whatever he wanted, but Morgan knew the truth.

"We're not going to stay for the entire trial, right?" Morgan asked.

"Of course not," Hotch said. "I'd already have Reid on a plane back home if I could. We're leaving as soon as he is well enough to travel."

"Alright, take me back to the hospital. I won't let Reid be alone," Morgan said. He really did love that kid, and he would die if anything else happened to him. Reid was terribly brave, but it was time for him to rest now.

"I'll have Prentiss drive you," Hotch said reaching for his phone. "I want to get to court early, and I think it will give Prentiss a break. She needs one."

Morgan nodded, and rolled his neck to wake those sleepy muscles up. He wasn't going to stay in his room back at the hospital. He was going to make sure Reid had everything he needed, and after the younger agent got enough rest, Morgan was going to work at getting him back on his feet. Moping around in that damned bed all day wasn't doing anything for him.

* * *

Nikki was up with the rest of the teenagers up early the next morning. Julie had already gone down to the hospital to stake it out. She was going to call them whenever she spotted the agents, and the other kids got out of their warm beds a few minutes after she left. Jude loaded all of them up with guns, and gave them lectures on how to keep cool in times of stress. Nikki was silently praying that none of the agents would go to the hospital that day. It was all over the news that Harold's trial was starting, and she was positive that they wouldn't want to miss the first day.

"What if all the agents don't show up?" one of the girls asked.

"Doesn't matter. We're heading down there the second Julie calls us. We'll shoot the first one we see," Jude said.

"How is this helping Harold's case?" another asked.

"These are the people who are hurting him. If they were all dead, it would be better for him. Since it is impossible for us to kill all of the agents, we have to settle just for one."

"Then why don't we just kill the two that already got beat up?"

"There are cops in there dumbasses. We can't get anywhere near them without getting questioned or arrested or something. Our best bet is getting one of them outside," Jude said calmly.

Jude slipped a small knife into his pocket just as his phone buzzed. Nikki bit her lip as he answered the phone. She was tied to the side of some bed. She couldn't move her arms at all, but her legs were still free. She was proud to say that she put up one hell of a fight as they tied her to the bedpost, but there were more of them than her. Being outnumbered wasn't a good thing.

"Great thanks," Jude said smiling into his phone. He put it back in his pocket, and turned around to face the crowd of kids. "We're ready to go guys. Everyone in the van!"

Nikki didn't know who grabbed her, but she didn't have time to fight back. The pulled her to her feet, and she was stuck in a tight group of kids as they ran outside. It was a warm day outside, and Nikki really couldn't wait for the summer to end. She hated it. These idiots around her were going to start sweating their butts off before they got close to hurting the agents. She was pushed into the back of a white van, and the kids crowded in around her. She was sandwiched in between two of the fatter boys which barely gave her the opportunity to breathe. The back of the van had no windows so all she could smell was the bad breath of those around her.

The ride seemed longer than it really was just because most of them weren't talking. They were too busy looking over their weapons and basking in the glory of having some kind of power and control over fellow people. She was glad none of them seemed to notice het, but she did see Jude glancing back at her every now and then as he drove the van. She knew that if the agents did find her, they weren't going to let anything happen to her. She just wasn't as confident about her safety around Jude. He was going to kill her if nothing happened at the hospital.

"Which agents did you see?" Jude asked Julie after he put her on speaker. He swung the van around in the parking lot and stopped in a free spot.

"Um, some black guy was in the passenger seat. I didn't see who was driving, but they should be there any minute."

"Okay guys, get ready," Jude said.

The two fat guys beside Nikki grabbed her, and pulled her out of the van. They both held guns to her head, and they followed Jude and Carrie out in front of the hospital Just as Julie had told them, the black SUV the agents were driving pulled up. Jude never looked so excited. Nikki took a deep breath and held it when the agents saw what was happening in front of the hospital. Most of the kids had gathered around the front entrance, and Jude was standing in front of them holding a gun in his right hand. Somebody was going to get shot. Nikki just prayed it wasn't her.

* * *

Morgan and Prentiss didn't say much on the way back to the hospital. Both of them were terribly worried about Reid, and Prentiss swore that she would call him the second the twins were found as long as he kept her updated about Reid's condition. He was like their little brother. They couldn't let anything happen to him. When Prentiss pulled the SUV into the hospital, she didn't see the idiot kids at first. She was trying to find a good parking spot when Morgan put one of his hands on her arm.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Who are those kids? What the hell are they doing?" Morgan asked.

Prentiss looked up, and the first kid she saw was Jude. She recognized him from the picture that Rossi carried around with him. She assumed the girl in the back who was being held against her will was Nikki. This wasn't good.

"They like Harold," she told Morgan. "They are fighting for his cause."

"What cause? He kills people!" Morgan exclaimed.

"I don't know," Prentiss said. She parked their car next to a small tree, and pulled her gun out of its holster. "They tried attacking me once already. They didn't accomplish anything other than getting a few of their own arrested. That's going to happen again it looks like."

"So you know these little bastards?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know them personally, but I know about them," Prentiss said.

"Which one is the ringleader?" Morgan asked. She saw him feeling around for his gun, but he hadn't had one since Harold took him and Reid that night that seemed so long ago.

"The one standing in front. His name is Jude," Prentiss said. "You need to stay out of this Morgan. You're going to get yourself hurt."

"There are too many kids," Morgan argued. "You can't handle this on your own."

"I'm texting Hotch," Prentiss said. She told him in the message that Jude was back, and that he needed to get to the hospital immediately. She knew she couldn't handle all those idiot kids holding guns on her own, but she wasn't going to put Morgan out there. She wasn't going to risk him getting hurt. She didn't think he could even hold a gun with his bandaged up wrists.

"Come on out lady!" one of the kids shouted. "We know you're in there!"

"Damn," Prentiss said looking at her phone. The kids were getting closer to their car. If she didn't get out of it soon, they were going to be trying to get in the car. Hotch texted back and said he could be there in a minute or less. "I've got to go."

"Stay here," Morgan said looking out the side window. "I can handle them. They're just kids."

Prentiss wasn't going to sit there and argue. Morgan could fight extremely well, both verbal and physical, and Prentiss just didn't have time for that. She held her gun in front of her, and got out of the SUV. The kids were closer than they were when she last saw them, but a few of them stepped back when they saw her.

"We meet again Emily Prentiss!" Jude said smiling.

"Let the girl go," Prentiss said eyeing Nikki. The girl wasn't crying, but she looked scared to death.

"We came to make a trade: you for the girl. It sounds perfectly reasonable to us," Jude said.

"I'll make another deal. You let her go or I'll shoot you right now," Prentiss said raising her gun to be level with Jude's head.

"You shoot me and the boys back there will shoot her. It's your choice really," Jude said.

Prentiss looked at all of the kids. They were getting closer to her, and the chubby kids holding Nikki were pointing guns at her head. She really didn't have much of a choice. She held up one of her hands, and slowly put her gun on the ground.

"Now walk towards us," Jude told her.

She raised both of her hands, and glanced back at the SUV to make sure Morgan wasn't doing anything he would regret later, but it was still. She took a deep breath, and walked towards the group of angry kids.

"Let Nikki go," Prentiss said when she got closer to the kids. Jude grabbed her by her hair, and forced her to the street. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the fat boys let Nikki go. The girl ran as fast as she could towards the SUV, and she saw Morgan waiting outside for her. Nikki was safe, and that's all that mattered.

"You're coming with us now agent," Jude said with a smirk on his face. The other kids were already gathering around her when a shot went off behind them. Prentiss looked up when she saw Morgan standing in front of the SUV with a gun. Where in the world did he get that?

"Hello Jude," Morgan called out. "I'm Agent Morgan. I'm going to ask you once to let go of Agent Prentiss."

"Yeah right blackie," Jude shouted. Prentiss was still on the street, but she was far from defenseless. All she needed was one second to kick this idiot in between the legs. No guy could stand getting kicked there.

She was moving into a better position for the kick when she saw Rossi and J.J. behind the bushes by the SUV. They were walking slowly towards the gang of teenagers with their guns in front of them. Prentiss silently hoped that Reid couldn't see all of this happening from his window.

"You're surrounded Jude!" Hotch yelled from behind them. Jude turned around quickly, still holding onto Prentiss' black hair, and saw Hotch standing near the entrance of the hospital. They really were surrounded.

The kids who were closest to Hotch dropped their guns on the hard cement, and the fat boys who were holding Nikki tried running for it. Rossi caught them before they got more than a few feet away. They didn't even try to fight him. They just hung their heads down low. Prentiss almost felt sorry for them. They were just kids who were willing to believe whatever lies Jude told them. Most of these kids would be crying their eyes out when they got behind bars.

"You don't want to do this Jude," Morgan told him. Morgan wasn't moving any closer, but J.J. and Hotch were closing in.

"Then you pigs shouldn't have hired a freaking woman to do a man's job!" Jude cried out. Prentiss noticed that he was sweating terribly, and that the hand holding the gun was shaking.

"She is better at the job than most men would be," Hotch said.

Prentiss felt the gun against her temple. Morgan saw it too, and he took one step forward. This was going to end badly. She could feel that in her heart. She looked at Morgan to try and predict his next move, but she couldn't do it fast enough. She heard the gun click in her ear, and time seemed to slow down. She pulled herself lower to get as far away from the gun as she could, and she lifted one of her legs up and kicked Jude as hard as she could in the groin.

He buckled over with pain which gave Prentiss enough time to get to her feet. She lunged for her own gun just as Jude found his strength. He stood up straight, and aimed his gun at Prentiss' head. She fell on the street just as the gun went off. Her arms were covering her head when a second gun was fired. She waited for a moment to pass, but no other bullets came flying her way. She turned around slowly, and saw Jude lying in the street in a pile of his own blood.

A police car finally showed up as the rest of the kids started to gather around. All of their weapons were discarded in the street. They had gone from fearless warriors to scared little kids. Rossi joined the group of kids with the two fat ones that tried running. J.J. got over to where Prentiss was sitting, and pulled her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" J.J. asked as she looked Prentiss over.

"I'm fine, but it doesn't look like Jude is," Prentiss said. Pieces of his brain matter were around his dark hair.

"No, but he almost shot you," J.J. said.

"Who fired the shot?" Prentiss asked. It was either Hotch or Morgan. She knew that much.

"I think it was Morgan," J.J. said looking back at him. He was still with Nikki, but they were walking towards the rest of them. Nikki looked unharmed.

"Morgan shot him?" Prentiss asked looking at the bloody mess on the street.

"Oh my God," Nikki sobbed out when they got close enough. Strangely, Nikki grabbed onto Prentiss and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. He wanted to kill you guys. I don't know what happened. Is he dead?"

"He's dead," J.J. told her.

This new information just made Nikki cry louder into Prentiss' shoulder. Prentiss struggled to hold the girl up, but she shot a harsh look over at Morgan. As much as she was thankful for his help, she didn't want him to risk getting hurt like that. If Jude had been paying better attention, he could have shot Morgan just as easily as Morgan shot him.

"It's all over now," J.J. said quietly. She patted Nikki on her head, and looked over just as Hotch was walking over to them with Rossi. Both of them were sweating. Prentiss pulled the hair out of Nikki's face, and finally ended the embrace. She wanted to get her own jacket off. It was colder in the hospital, but it was making her feel sick outside.

"Everyone okay?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Prentiss said.

"Looks like they're taking all the kids to the station. I better make sure they don't bunk them anywhere near Harold," Hotch said. "Most of them were still talking about him as the cops were handcuffing them."

"I'm really sorry," Nikki said again. "I tried to stop them. They just wouldn't listen to me."

"This was all Jude's idea?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah, Jude doesn't like cops or agents or anything like that. Julie helped him a lot too. I think most of the guns belong to her dad," Nikki said.

"Which one is Julie?" Hotch asked as he looked over the kids.

"The red head. She's wearing the green shirt," Nikki said pointing her way.

Hotch nodded, and walked away from the group with his cell phone in his ear. Julie's future was pretty much over. Prentiss looked back up at the hospital windows, but she was pretty sure Reid's room was on the other side. They gave him a room away from the nosy photographers. He didn't need to know what happened. Prentiss wasn't going to tell him, and she was positive that none of the others would either.

* * *

Harold easily drowned out the voices of those around him. He didn't care what the lawyers had to say, or about how he supposed to act when he was in the courtroom. He tightened the tie around his neck, and ran his tongue over his top lip. He would see Reid again. He could feel it in his blood. Nothing could keep them apart for long. He just wanted to look into the young doctor's eyes, and smell the sweetness of the man's silky hair. That would be worth everything.

"Harold? Are you listening?" one of the lawyers asked.

"Of course," Harold answered.

He didn't really care at all what these people were telling them. They were hoping that he would enter the plea that he was criminally insane so he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his days locked in some jail cell, but he wasn't insane. Why would he lie like that? He knew exactly what he was doing, and while it wasn't considered normal, he was far from insane. He would never enter himself in the same category of Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. They were crazy, and they deserved what they got, but not Harold. He was as sane as those around him.

"Will Agent Reid be at the trial?" Harold asked.

"What?"

"Will Agent Reid be there?" Harold asked again. He was positive that most, if not all, of the agents would be there. They wouldn't want to miss the trial.

"I don't know," the lawyer said slowly. "I haven't spoken to any of the agents, and I don't plan to anytime soon."

This lawyer's name was Ed Mitchell, and he was hired by Harold's mother just that morning. Harold had to admit that she was one dedicated woman, but he had other things on his mind.

"I probably should have checked myself when I had Markus drop off that rude mannered Morgan," Harold mumbled. "I thought he was dead, and Markus never once the most reliable kind of man."

"I'm not hearing any of this!" Ed said loudly.

"If he was dead, I would have been talking to Spencer Reid this morning instead of him," Harold said. He really hated Morgan. He should have died that night. "How is Timothy?"

"What?" Mitchell asked.

"You really are slow, aren't you?" Harold asked glaring at him. Ed had small and beady eyes which looked awkwardly placed above his narrow nose. "Were you one of the last 10 in your graduating class?"

"Who's Timothy?" Mitchell asked.

"Why he is my adorable little dog that I had to leave behind when the agents broke into the manor," Harold said. "I do hope that he is still not there. The poor little fellow would be starving by now."

"The dog isn't there anymore," Mitchell said looking back at his papers.

"Did my parents take him in? Mother was never fond of animals so that would be surprising," Harold said.

"No, I think one of the agents took the dog with them" Mitchell said sounding bored. "I don't know what they did with him after that. They probably took him to some shelter, but we really need to talk about your defense for this case."

"What?" Harold yelled. He stood up out of his chair, and didn't feel the guards pulling him back until he was seated in the chair again.

"What's wrong?"

"What happened to my dog?" Harold shouted. Timothy couldn't be in a shelter. He just couldn't be. He wasn't like those dogs. He was better than that. He was Harold's dog. "Timothy better not be in a shelter!"

"I don't know if he's in a shelter!"

"Find out, today!" Harold said trying to get his breath under control. Timothy wasn't in a shelter. Nobody could dump that beautiful dog in a death trap like that. Timothy had to be safe. "Find out where my dog is today Mitchell."

"Okay, okay," Mitchell mumbled. "I'll find out. We really need to talk about your defense now Mr. Caldwell."

"The devil made me do it," Harold said smiling.

* * *

Garcia stayed behind while the others went to talk to Harold again that morning. She was against the idea of Morgan having to see that man again, but she was in contact with them the entire time. Nothing serious happened, and Harold didn't give out any more information. Garcia wanted to sleep in. She really wanted to, but as soon as she heard the other members of her team moving around, she was up and ready to go. She fed Timothy, and after the others left, Garcia grabbed some coffee and went to find another teddy bear for Reid. He needed to remember that the team was still there for him. Garcia would always be there for him. She wouldn't let anything else hurt him ever again. She picked out a little orange bear that reminded her of Halloween. She knew that was one of his favorite holidays, and Reid needed to smile more. She would let Reid name the loveable bear, but he looked like a Catty to her because of his small eyes.

When she finally got to the hospital, Morgan was already gone. She peaked in his room first to make sure, and she saw that the TV was off and the bed was made. She was positive her dark knight would be fine, but she still wished he didn't have to go. When she made her way over to Reid's room, she saw a man that looked a little bit familiar walking away from Reid's door. He was wearing a suit, and he kept most of his features hidden with a hat he put over his head. No one else noticed him but her, and that just wasn't right. Security was going down just because the press was gone, but Reid still needed someone to watch over him. She wasn't going to feel safe until all of them were back home where they belonged.

She opened his door quietly, she didn't want to wake him in case he was sleeping, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw him sitting up in the bed. She ran over to him, and looked on the bed for signs of blood. She would just die if he broke some of the stitches when he sat up.

"What are you doing? You need to lay down sweetie pie!" Garcia whined. "Come on, your pillow is really soft. I don't know why you would ever want to sit up if you don't have to."

"I'm okay," the young genius said quietly. It looked like he had something on his mind.

Garcia decided not to pressure him into lying down. She didn't see any blood, and she was more concerned now about who that man was. She knew he had been in there. She sat in the chair next to a little table, and scooted it closer so she could look into his eyes better.

"I got you something," Garcia said smiling. She presented the bear from her bag, and handed it over to Reid. He smiled, but his eyes weren't shining. The poor genius had a long way to go.

"Thank you," Reid said. She put the bear in his lap, and he laughed a little. That made Garcia feel better.

"I named him Catty, but you can name him whatever you like. He looks like a Halloween guy. I'm sure he's going to love to spend lots of time with you!"

"Catty sounds like a girl's name," Reid said.

"Does not!" Garcia argued. Reid laughed a little more, and Garcia took a deep breath. "Who was that man that was just in here?"

"What man?"

"I just saw him," Garcia said. "He had dark hair, and he was wearing some nice suit and he put a hat on his head. He came out of your room."

"He wasn't anyone important," Reid said quickly. "I have something to ask you."

"What is it?" Garcia asked. She wasn't going to give up on who that man was though. That man was somebody important. She was going to find out who he was with or without Reid's help.

"I want to see Harold," Reid said in almost a whisper.

"What?" Garcia nearly screamed.

"I need to see Harold later this afternoon," Reid said. "I need you to help me."

"I'm not letting you anywhere near that MONSTER!" Garcia yelled. "Never ever ever!"

"I don't want to see him either, but I have to. I'm not going to let him control my life, and I won't allow him to hurt anyone else. I need to let him know that he's not in control of Morgan anymore, and that he's not in charge of me anymore, and that he will never see those twin boys again. I know that Hotch and the others are busy getting ready for the trial, and I think something else is going on. I don't know what it is, and I know that you won't tell me, but I know that it is taking up a lot of their time."

"Even if it was a good idea for you to see him, you're not well enough. You need to stay here to keep up your strength."

"I can sit up fine. All I need is a wheelchair. I wouldn't be running a marathon with him. I wouldn't even have to be alone with him. I just need to see him," Reid said.

"Why? Just tell me why." Garcia said. She didn't know if the doctor would allow him out of there even if he did give a good reason.

"I think I know where the twins are," Reid said after a moment of silence. "I don't know for myself, but I'm going to know soon. Since I can't go myself, Harold's father offered to go."

"That man was Harold's dad?" Garcia asked standing up. She couldn't believe a guy like that would even consider coming anywhere NEAR Reid. She was fuming.

"It's alright," Reid said. "Sit down. I was scared at first too, but he said he wanted to help. He knows that house better than anyone, besides Harold, and he told me more information about some of the rooms."

"And you trust him? What if he's just going to kill those poor kids? How do you know he's not exactly like his son?"

"He's not," Reid said. "I can't explain it. I just feel it."

_i dont know if i like this chapter or not, but if it was left in my care, u guys would probably never see it. id keep writing and changing and writing and changing and somehow end up a crazy cat lady...hahah. but plz review and lemme know ur thoughts! i LOVE reviews almost as much as i love chocolate. ALMOST xoxoxo till next time!_


	56. Chapter 56

_chapter 56 is here everyone! things are wrapping up. i can feel it and its making me sad that my baby is almost over. this was my first official story on here so its making me sad. i would have this chapter up earlier, but a friend came over and we started watching the final destination movies. we watched 1 and 2, and then we start 28 weeks later so its been a nice horror right b4 easter. i think only i would say that. ya. enjoy!_

Rossi wiped the brow off his sweat, and watched the police load all of the teenagers into separate vehicles. Jude's body was already blocked off from the public, and Morgan was being looked over in the emergency room to make sure he didn't damage his healing body. Rossi didn't think so, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. It had been a hectic morning, but it was far from over. The trial was starting in less than an hour, and they still weren't sure where to continue looking for the missing twins. Rossi even didn't really want to go to the trial. He felt he would be of more help if he was back at the manor. The police were bringing in search dogs later that day, but they were running out of time.

"Are you heading over to the court room now?" Rossi asked Hotch. Prentiss was in the emergency room with Morgan, and J.J. was bravely dealing with the reporters who were already on the scene.

"Yeah, I wanted to get there early," Hotch said. He pulled his hand up to his forehead, and shielded the terrible sun from his eyes.

Rossi had been working on finding the best doctor he could back at home. Reid was going to have greatest doctor that Rossi could get, and after hours of searching instead of sleeping, he found someone who didn't live too far from the BAU. Doctor Walters had been following the case on the television, and was very interested in meeting Reid. She said that she would be able to even fly out to see him, and she was certain that he could go home sooner than Meyer thought so. Rossi didn't tell anyone else yet, but he needed to tell Reid soon. It was his right to know, but Rossi was sure that he wouldn't mind.

"What about you?" Hotch asked.

"I was just going to go check up on Reid first," Rossi said glancing at the hospital. "I know that he doesn't like to be alone. Hospitals really aren't fun for anyone."

"Okay, that's a good idea. I don't like leaving him alone either. We really need to keep track of what medication the doctor gives him. I'm not going to let him go through this alone."

"I won't let him," Rossi said. They were going to get through this together.

"Let me know when you're leaving," Hotch said looking at his phone. "I need to get going so I guess I will see you there. Just let me know how he is doing. I'm concerned about the nightmares he's been having. I know that they have gotten better since he got to the hospital, but he still has them every night."

"I'm sure that everything will settle down once we all get back home. You're still not looking that great either."

Rossi wasn't lying. Hotch looked like he had aged overnight. His tired eyes looked small in his pale face, and the dark circles told Rossi of many sleepless nights worrying about the team. Rossi had to find enough money to get all of them on some beach in Hawaii. They needed to have a week of worrying about nothing but what to have for lunch and what movie to watch first.

"I'll see you there," Hotch said.

Rossi watched him walk away, and Rossi felt a sadness come over him. This case changed all of them, and no matter what happened in the future, they would never be the same again. Rossi wasn't held captive in that manor, but he was in there with his mind. His thoughts never strayed far from his team. They were his life, and he would die for any of them. He followed the familiar route to Reid's room, and he tried to clear his mind. Reid was still a profiler, and would still be able to tell the feelings that Rossi was going through without speaking a word. He knocked on the door, and rolled his neck around to wake his muscles up.

"Come in," Reid called out.

Rossi opened the door, but he didn't see Garcia sitting anywhere. He was certain that she would be there first thing, and that's when he spotted a brand new teddy bear sitting on the night table. The whole room was full of the stuffed animals, but this one was new. She had been there, but where was she now? Rossi sat down in the chair, and looked over Reid. The younger man looked the same as he did yesterday. His skin was still too white, and his eyes still looked sunken in against his protruding cheekbones, but he was alive. He was breathing, and the wounds he got while he was in the manor were healing. They would seal up, but the scars would remain.

"How are you feeling?" Rossi asked.

"Just tired," Reid said.

"How did you sleep?" Rossi wasn't going to ask why he was tired. It could be just because he didn't sleep well, but it could be because he was getting more pain medication. That wouldn't be a good thing.

"I had another nightmare," Reid said.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really," Reid said. He shifted in his bed, and looked upset that Rossi even mentioned talking about it. Rossi couldn't blame him. He wouldn't want to be talking about his nightmares either. Reid would be able to talk about them in time. Rossi was confident about that.

"I'm not going to say that I know exactly what you're going through because I don't," Rossi started. "I wasn't there. I wasn't locked in that room, but that doesn't mean I can't help you. I think all of us have had nightmares from things we've seen working this job, and I have been hurt. I'm been hurt physically and emotionally. I've seen things that I don't think I will ever be able to get over, but I still manage to go on. You will too. Not many people could go through what you went through. I don't know if I even could have done that. You're a strong person Reid. Just don't close yourself off. Even superheroes need friends. I don't know what kind of person Batman would have been without Alfred."

"I didn't know you liked Batman," Reid said.

"Everyone likes Batman!" Rossi said smiling.

"I always thought Spiderman was pretty cool," Reid said. There was a twinkle in his eye which warmed Rossi's heart. "I know you're here for me. I just need to understand everything myself before I can start trying to get other people to understand. I'm going to get through this."

"I know," Rossi said. Rossi put his hand on top of Reid's hand. He wasn't going to let Reid fall. Reid smiled gently.

"Thank you," Reid said.

Rossi squeezed his hand, and then sat back on the chair. He picked up the Halloween colored bear, and looked over it for a note. There wasn't one.

"Garcia was here I'm guessing?"

"Yeah, she named the bear Catty," Reid said.

"Where did she go?"

"She's helping me," Reid said slowly. "I want to see Harold today."

"What?" Rossi asked. He stood up, and looked around as if expecting Garcia to pop out from behind some chair telling him that this was all some joke, but it wasn't. She wasn't there.

"I'm going to see him," Reid said more firmly.

"You can't see him. I know that everyone has been telling you this, but it really isn't a good idea. That creep has been asking for you. You can't reward him by showing up. I know that he wouldn't be able to touch you, but sometimes words can be more damaging than anything. You need to stay here and continue resting. I'm not going to let you get hurt again."

"I think I know where the twins are," Reid said. "I don't know for sure, but I think I'm right."

"How would you know?"

"I was just thinking a lot. Harold wouldn't have just put them in any room. The hallway where he kept me and Morgan was meant for people like us, but the twins were just kids. He would put them somewhere that means something to him, so I asked his dad," Reid started.

"You asked his dad?" Rossi asked loudly. "Harold's dad? You asked him? He was here?"

"He came to see me."

"How did he get in here?" Rossi's blood was boiling. They let the father of a murdering psychopath in the hospital to visit one of the victims? How was that even possible? Rossi couldn't remember ever being so mad. What if the father was armed? What if he was just as crazy as his son was? What if he wanted to get rid of Reid? Rossi felt around his pocket to find his phone. Reid could have been killed. All that bastard needed was one bullet with good aim, and Reid would be gone forever. Rossi didn't even notice his hands were shaking.

"It's okay Rossi," Reid said. He pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"It's not," Rossi said. "He could have killed you. That shouldn't have happened."

"It's over now. I asked him to tell about Harold's personal rooms when he was growing up, and I found out that both boys had 5 rooms to themselves. I'm positive that the twins are being held in one of those rooms."

"So you're having Harold's dad looking for the missing twins?" Rossi asked.

"He could have killed me, but he didn't. He didn't touch me, and he wanted to see what his son did to me. I trust him. I think he wants to help," Reid said.

"I need to meet him there," Rossi said. He didn't trust anyone from the Caldwell family. They were all related to Harold, and they couldn't be trusted with anything.

"I need to see him Rossi," Reid said. "I need to. I have to do this."

Rossi sat down on the chair, and put his hands on his head. This couldn't be happening. None of this was a good idea. None of it. Where was he supposed to start?

"Penelope is getting you a meeting with him, isn't she?" Rossi asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Reid said quietly.

"You can't do this," Rossi said. He put his hands on his forehead to try and stop a headache that was coming on. "Why are you even thinking about this? You're still getting over pneumonia, and the doctor said you weren't even well enough to travel yet. I'm not going to let him hurt you again. I'm not."

"Please," Reid whispered.

Rossi couldn't understand this. What in the world was happening? Reid's big eyes were begging him to accept this, but he couldn't let Reid anywhere near that monster. Morgan would flip out at even the mention of them meeting again. Nothing good could come out of this. Nothing.

"Rossi, please," Reid repeated. "I need to show him that I'm still here, that he didn't break me. I need him to know that I'm stronger than he is. His main goal in all of this was to kill me, wasn't it? He failed. I'm not a little boy anymore. I'm still part of this team, and I want to see his face when he realizes that he not only failed with me but with the twins too. I need to see him fall."

Rossi reached out for Reid's hands, and squeezed them in his own. The bandages still felt foreign on Rossi's fingers, and Reid's nails were still broken off and jagged. This kid had been through so much that Rossi could not even begin to comprehend. Were the nails broken from Reid scratching at his chain or from him fighting off Harold's unwanted touches? Rossi squeezed the cold hands tighter, and looked deep into Reid's eyes. Reid truly wanted to go see the monster, but wasn't it trout that swam upstream every year straight to their deaths? He knew that this wasn't the same situation, but Rossi was scared.

* * *

Morgan wasn't hurt at all. None of his stitches had opened up, and he was complaining the entire time the doctors were looking at him. He wasn't hurt. He actually felt a lot better than he did when he was talking to Harold. Talking to Harold did crap. He should have known that he wasn't going to help them in any way. They were on their own in finding the boys, but that wasn't going to deter Morgan. Those kids were going home safe and sound.

"You really shouldn't have done that," J.J. said. She joined them after the initial checkup. She didn't tell any of them what happened with the reporters though.

The doctors left Morgan alone in a stupid corner room after they made sure that he wasn't in bleeding anywhere. He kept telling them he wasn't, but it was probably protocol.

"I don't think Hotch would have gotten there in time," Morgan said. "He had her on the ground with the gun to her head. What time does Harold's trial start?"

"Less than an hour," Prentiss said.

"Are both of you going?" Morgan asked.

"Of course," J.J. said. She stood up, and stretched her arms in front of her. "I just want to check on Reid first. I've been really worried about him. I had an awful dream about him last night."

"Was it Harold or something else?" Prentiss asked.

"He was back on the drugs, and he couldn't get off of them. Do you remember how he was last time? When Hotch said he was asking for more pain medication, I…I don't know. I just don't want to see that happen to him again. I can't."

"We're not going to let him," Morgan said.

Morgan was going to stay with Reid this time. Even when Reid finally gets out of the hospital, Morgan was going to be with him. They could be roommates even for a while. Morgan could help him with the nightmares. Both of them were still suffering from those things. Reid's were much worse than Morgan's were, but they were together in that. That would be something they would share for the rest of their lives.

"Let's just go up and see him now," Morgan said getting off of the stupid hospital bed. He hated those things more than words could say. He really missed his own bed. "If the doctor really wanted to see me, he wouldn't have left me sitting her for 20 minutes. We're just going to be upstairs, and I haven't seen Reid since last night. I'm worried now too."

Morgan had the door open before either woman could respond. He led the way down the hallway, and was actually surprised when no doctors tried stopping him. He guessed he didn't really stick out that much. His arms were still casted up, but he was wearing regular clothes again and it looked like he had a mission. He did. He didn't stop until he was in the elevator.

"So were we running a marathon back there?" J.J. asked when she caught up with him. Prentiss was behind her looking at her phone. "I don't think that'd be a fair race."

"Sorry, you just got me a little upset," Morgan said smiling. "You need to sit down?"

"No, I'm fine," J.J. said laughing.

"Who texted you?" Morgan asked. He tried leaning over J.J.'s shoulder to see the phone, but Prentiss moved out of the way.

"It was just Rossi. He's already with Reid," Prentiss said.

"Is everything alright?" J.J. asked.

"Yeah," Prentiss said. Something about the tone in her voice didn't make Morgan believe her. There was something that she wasn't telling him, and it wouldn't be long before she drug J.J. off to the side to tell her. Morgan hated this.

"The doctor was just in to see Reid," Prentiss continued. "They want to look over all of his stitches, and he had a bad headache this morning. Rossi is just going to meet the police at the Caldwell manor. He wants to help them look for the boys."

"They're bringing in the dogs today. They should find them quickly," J.J. said.

Morgan was happy about the boys, but he still wasn't satisfied with what Prentiss told him about their youngest member. He still needed to check on him. When the elevator opened, Morgan stepped out to find Rossi already standing by the nurse station. He was talking with one of the nurses, but smiled at them when the approached.

'Just telling them to watch out for Reid's pain medication dosage," Rossi explained.

"Was he asking again?" J.J. asked.

"No, he wasn't, but I want to be on the safe side. The doctor is already in there with two nurses to look at his back. Reid wasn't too happy about it, but it needs to be done."

Morgan looked in the direction of Reid's room, but he didn't say anything. The doctor probably really was looking over the kid's back, and Morgan wasn't going to embarrass Reid by gawking at him, but something was up. Morgan could feel it. Prentiss kept glancing at Rossi, and while Rossi didn't acknowledge it, that text message said more than what she told him.

"Agent Morgan!" a chubby nurse exclaimed. "There you are! They were worried about you downstairs. Seems you disappeared on them!" She chuckled.

"I'm good at that," Morgan said weakly. J.J. was winking at him.

"Well, we can't have any more of that now. Can we? You didn't break any stitches on your little adventure, but we should probably get around to changing those bandages on your back. You sweat an awful lot, and we don't want them getting dirty. You're still at the stage where infection could come easily. What would happen if a big, strong man like you got infections all over your back? It would be shame. You just come right with me now. I'll get you all fixed up."

"Sounds like fun," Prentiss said smiling.

Morgan didn't want to go with her. He wanted to wait around until the doctors were done with Reid, but no one was bailing him out. There was nothing he could say to Mrs. Clause to make her go away. He sighed.

"Of course, ma'am," he mumbled.

She turned around, but before he followed her, he raised his fisted hand at his friends who were laughing under the breaths at his joy. He shook the fist, but followed the nurse without complaining to her. It wasn't her fault. She was just doing her job, but did she have to add her own little description of him? If anything, it would give him something to do while waiting for Reid to get done. It was probably better than loitering in the hallways and Prentiss was never going to tell him what the text really said. He would have to find out on his own.

* * *

Shane didn't remember when he stopped sweating, but he didn't care. He was burning up, but there was nothing he could do to relieve it. His mouth was dryer than it had ever been in his entire life, and he was getting light headed. He tried to keep talking to Sean, but it got to the point when talking wasn't doing much good. Without any moisture on his tongue, talking was more of a burden. He tried to keep checking on his twin, but Sean wasn't doing anything. He was limply hanging on his chain like he always was.

When would the police find their bodies? Not for a long time? Shane wondered if the police even suspected a nice man like Harold. Shane couldn't remember seeing that man in anything except a suit and tie. He probably had an amazing job with a perfect family. Nobody would suspect someone like that of a crime. Shane would rot in this freaking bedroom, and nobody but the rats and Harold would know. Shane didn't see any rats, but he assumed they were there. It was a big house. That meant there had to be rats. Shane liked rats.

"Sean?" he quietly asked. His voice sounded strange to him. It had a raspy sound to it, and it hurt his throat to speak.

He gave his brother a moment to answer, but no answer came. Shane debated about repeating his question, but his throat was begging him not to. He turned his head to look at Sean. It looked like he was sleeping, but Shane couldn't be sure. He wasn't used to seeing his twin like this. Sean's dark hair was matted on top of his hanging head, and the blood on his wrists and ankles weren't drying. Shane's were the same way. Every time they moved, even a little, a little point would dig into their skin so deep that the boys used to cry out. They were used to it now, but when was the last time this mattress was washed? What if something nasty got into their open wounds? That could probably kill them as well, but Shane couldn't remember.

Shane took a deep breath, and listened to the silence in the room. His brother wasn't breathing loudly, and Shane stopped long ago moving at all. He wasn't going to cut himself anymore. His back was still stinging terribly from the whipping. Was it ever going to stop hurting? He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to do anything to get out of there, but he couldn't. Even if screaming would save his life, he didn't think he could at the point. The voice wouldn't come. He couldn't lift his own arm if he wanted to. He didn't know how he got so tired or why his head felt so light, but he knew he was getting sick. Death wasn't that far off.

"Sean?" he asked again. He didn't want to, but he was afraid. He was afraid of dying. He didn't want to die there. He didn't.

Sean never answered. Shane banged his head against the wall behind him, and let out what was supposed to be a yell, but it came out as a muffled sob. Tears weren't falling from his eyes like they should have been, and he felt the chains cut into his wrist again from the sudden movement, but he barely felt it. Why wasn't Sean answering? He was still breathing. Shane could see that, but why wasn't he answering? Why wasn't Sean telling him that everything was going to be okay? Why weren't the police there? Shane never wanted his mother more than now. He wanted to hug her and never let go. He would even hug Shannon again, and their father.

"Sean? Please answer me," he cried out, but still, Sean was silent.

Shane couldn't even leave a note behind for those who would eventually find him. The police would just find their bodies, but there would be no story to be told from the brothers. They would never know how badly the boys fought to stay alive or how Shane was crying out for his sister's stupid cat in his final moments. This couldn't be it. It couldn't. Shane wanted to be an actor when he graduated from school. All of his teachers thought he was good, and it would be easy on sets because his brother could be his own stand-in. Everything was going to work out. He couldn't die now. He curled his toes against his feet, and took in another deep breath. He had to stay alive. The police would find them soon, and he had to be awake when they got there.

* * *

"Reid told you what?" Prentiss asked as soon as Morgan was far enough away not to hear.

"What's happening?" J.J. asked looking at Rossi.

"Reid wants to see Harold," Rossi said quietly. He looked around at the nurses, but none of them were paying any attention to their conversation. "He thinks he knows where the twins are, and he wants to be the one to tell Harold."

"No!" J.J. almost shouted.

"That's too dangerous," Prentiss said agreeing. It wasn't physically dangerous, but she couldn't get the image out of her mind of when they found Reid. She didn't think he was even alive. His poor body had been through so much abuse, but that wasn't anything when compared to what his mind went through. He was never going to be the same again. How could Rossi even think about letting him see his tormentor again?

"I know. I know. I'm on your side, but you should have seen his face. He really was serious about this," Rossi said.

"The mouse is serious when it goes in for the cheese on the mouse trap," J.J. said flatly.

"Harold's father saw him earlier," Rossi said.

"What?" Prentiss was fuming. Why wasn't that monster at the courthouse with his bitch of a wife getting ready for Satan's trial? He shouldn't be anywhere near Reid.

"How did he get in?" J.J. asked.

"I don't know. I wasn't here. Reid was telling me, and Reid told him where to find the twins."

"How would Reid know?" J.J. asked.

"His genius mind is getting back to work," Rossi said with a small smile. "He was in that room thinking and he thought that Harold would keep them in a room more personal to him. Reid found out that Harold and his brother had two bedrooms each, and Reid figured out that the boys must be in one of those rooms."

"And he told Harold's dad?" Prentiss asked in disbelief.

"That's why I'm going down to the manor. I don't trust that man at all," Rossi said. His smile was gone. "That man could have killed Reid. Do you know that? If he had a gun, it would only take a second. I'm going to have a little talk with the security here."

"What are we going to do about Reid?" J.J. asked. "I don't think this a good idea."

"Maybe we should consider it though if all of us are there," Rossi said slowly. "I told him that I wouldn't even think about it unless I was in the room with him. He wouldn't be alone with Harold. I wouldn't let him even for a second."

"How can you be thinking about that?" Prentiss asked. "That man almost killed Reid. He still wants to kill him! He was telling all of his guards how good Reid's hair smelled."

"Have you told Hotch yet?" J.J. asked.

"No, not yet. I knew he was on the road to get to the trial, and you guys were still here. Garcia is already arranging a meeting so I really don't know what to do. We can stop her, but Reid is an adult. Both of you should talk to him. I need to go though. If the boys are where Reid thinks they are, I want to be there. I'm not going to trust Mr. Caldwell's good instinct to get those kids to the hospital."

"I should go," Prentiss volunteered. "What if things get nasty? I still don't trust that man not to pull a gun out and start shooting. I met his wife. I can't imagine a sweet guy marrying someone like that. I think Cruella DeVille is nicer than she is."

"If Reid is right, I think we should think about letting him tell Harold," J.J. said as they were leaving. "That lets Reid have the last word, and I think he needs that."

* * *

Harold walked into the courtroom with a big smile on his face. He hadn't seen his father that morning, but that didn't worry him one bit. Why would it? He would be seeing Agent Reid soon, and that was worth everything. He didn't look at the jury stand that was located only steps from his own chair, but he offered a friendly glance up at the old judge sitting before him. He took his own seat when he was told to, and he listened with little interest to the opening arguments. He probably could have made a better lawyer than the two men working for him, but he was never really into politics. Whenever he thought of lawyers, he thought of politics, and so that wasn't a career field he chose to follow.

One of his lawyers, he forgot which one, had already made several phone calls to find out where Timothy went to. Harold would just die if his pure bred baby ended up in some mangy pound like he was a regular dog. He wasn't. Timothy was his special little boy, and Harold was going to do everything he could to get his baby back. He would even arrange a special bath for the little animal. Timothy always loved having blue bows in his hair to keep it out of his eyes. His breed was known for their long hair, and it was a hassle having to keep it clean, but Harold didn't mind. The people working for him always took care of that.

His mother was sitting as close to the front as she possibly could. She was actually begging the lawyers to let her sit next to Harold, but that wasn't going to happen. Even Harold wasn't that stupid, but he was sure that she was just nervous. It wasn't every day that a trial as big as this happens. She was telling him that there were tons of reporters outside the court house hoping to talk to her, and she was happier than ever to answer all of their questions. His father wasn't there yet, but he would be along. He wasn't going to miss Harold's big day. Harold didn't care one way or the other if his father showed up. Their presence wasn't really helping anyone. She volunteered herself to be one of the witnesses when the time came, but his lawyers assured him that he would go free without any trouble.

There wouldn't be that much that the opposing side could be used against him. He used the upstairs corridor for personal friends. They did engage in some questionable activity, but who is to judge what happens between two consenting adults? The videos were all fake, and they were planted by one of Harold's few enemies with the hopes of getting some of his money. Harold's lawyers made sure he memorized the story they told him, and they encouraged him to come up with even more details to make it more believable. Harold had no problem with that. He didn't really want to lie, but he did want to go back home. His house was probably a disaster by now.

The only witnesses they had to deal with were the agents and the woman. His lawyers were working overtime, and Harold was sure that his mother paid them a handsome salary. It seemed to take them only moments to find out everything there was to know about the past of the three witnesses. Susan's was easy. She was a single mother, and she was working 2 jobs at the time she went missing. She left her baby boy at her parent's house while she worked, but the jobs were nothing interesting. She worked in a library during the day, and worked as a waitress during the weekends. Nothing seemed out of order until they dug deeper. Susan worked as a stripper before her son was born. She was almost murdered by some psycho who became obsessed with her, but her life changed when Andy was born. The lawyers would have no problem at all working with that.

Morgan's past was one that Harold was already familiar with. Morgan was sexually abused as a child by someone he trusted, and he was raised by his mother. His father was murdered, and it seemed all too easy to tell the jury that Morgan was prone to being violent. He didn't live in the best neighborhood, and he went out of his way to sculpt the body that he had. How could someone like Harold possibly take down someone like Morgan? It wasn't physically possible. Morgan could tackle Harold in his sleep.

Reid was just a little boy when his father abandoned their family, and it was Reid who turned his mother into the mental hospital. She was suffering from schizophrenia, and she remained in the hospital to this day. This specific mental disorder ran in families, and it was very likely that Reid had it. It might not be as prevalent as his mom's was, but it could still be there. Most people suffering from mental disorders lived normal lives without ever having dangerous fits like the movies made people believe. The lawyers wanted to go down the same path that Harold's other lawyer did. Morgan could have been the one who abused Reid, and do to Reid's disorder; he didn't associate the pain with Morgan. He blamed Harold instead.

Harold cracked his neck while one of his lawyers was speaking, and he smoothed his slick hair with his hand. It was boring to be sitting there when there was so much else he would rather be doing. He needed to go back to the manor. He was sure the twins were dead by now. He didn't leave them with any water, and the little brats were bleeding pretty badly when he last saw them, but he wasn't worrying about them. He was more considered about how filthy the house must have gotten. He was gone for about a week now, and he was sure the hired helps weren't keeping up their duties without his supervision. The house was probably covered in dust.

* * *

Victor took the back roads to get to his son's house. The front gates were guarded by police officers, and he really didn't want to deal with them. He parked his car by one of the large oak trees behind the property, and found one of the secret passageways underneath the house that his boys were famous for using when they wanted to get away from punishment. None of the servants knew about the crawl space, and so he doubted any of the authorities had any record of this on the floor plans. He brushed the leaves off of the little door handle, and got it open without any problem at all. He was right when he assumed the police didn't know about this. He made his cell phone was in his pocket, and he used a flashlight kept by the little staircase to guide his way through the tunnel. It wasn't a long walk, but it gave him time to think.

What would he do if he found the boys? What he call the police right away or sit there in denial like his wife would do? What would happen if the boys were already dead? Leave them there and pretend none of this was real? He knew that he wasn't going to abandon the boys if they were alive. They were just children, and they needed to be with their parents. He wasn't a murderer. His son might be, but Victor wouldn't lay a hand on a child. How many fathers in history had to go through something like this? In his heart, he knew that his son was guilty of the crimes he was on trial for. He knew that Harold was perfectly capable of inflicting that kind of damage, but his mind didn't want to accept it. What did he do wrong? He wasn't there much for his son when he was growing up, but did that really make his son a serial killer?

The passageway wasn't done up as well as Victor would have liked. He kept meaning to have someone look at it, but he always forgot. He never used the tunnel, and so it got lost in the back of his mind. The floor was done with tile, but the walls were still nothing more but dirt. His wife would have thrown a fit if she knew. It wasn't good for anyone to be breathing in that much dust. It reminded Victor of a tomb, and he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. He sped up his pace, and found the latch leading up to the main kitchen. He pulled it down, and took the small staircase into the house.

It was dark inside, and it didn't do much to ease Victor's troubled mind. The air conditioning was off, and it looked like all the curtains were pulled down. From the look of things, everyone working the kitchen that day left in a hurry. There were still pots sitting in the sink with dirty water shifting on them, and Victor spotted a tray with a tea cup sitting on it by door. His younger son always did love to have tea before bed. He said it relaxed the mind. Harold didn't get to have his relaxing tea the night they arrested him. Victor ran his fingers over one of the counters, and his head flooded with memories. He really did love this house. He didn't think he would ever love another house as much. This was his real home. The Caldwell Manor was supposed to be something out of the story books. A young man with ties to the nobility in England marries a beautiful heiress, and they move into a magical house that goes back generations. It needed repairs of course, but it was the mansion that Victor was always dreaming of. He wanted to raise the perfect family: a son, a daughter, and as many pets as they could get. What went wrong?

He walked out of the kitchen, and paused by the doorway to see if he could hear anything. He didn't think that he would be hearing the twins from downstairs, but there might be a lost police officer wandering around. He held his breath, but he didn't hear anything so he walked over to the staircase. He debated against using the elevator which was easier, but he didn't trust it. The authorities might have turned the electricity off or something, and one of his worst nightmares was getting trapped on an elevator.

Victor was having trouble remembering if the boys had their second bedrooms on the second or third floor. He was barely ever in those rooms. He wanted them to keep their privacy, and everyone deserves their own room during their teenage years. He chose the third floor since Victor shared a room with his wife on the second floor. He missed the staircase. It always reminded him of the grand staircase from the Titanic, and he liked to tease the boys when they were younger by telling them it was the same staircase. Michael went on as they grew older, and told Harold that it was haunted by the spirits of those who died on the ship. It was all in good fun, but could that have contributed to what happened to Harold?

Victor stopped to catch his breath when he reached the top of the staircase, and he wanted to kick himself for being so out of shape. He stopped working out officially when he moved out of this house, and while he wasn't overweight, he wasn't as strong as he used to be. He was getting older, and it wouldn't be long before he was in the graveyard with his own parents. It wasn't something he should be thinking about, but he couldn't help it when he got so out of breath from walking up a flight of stairs. He was always putting off his doctor appointments, but he thought he should schedule another one after the trial.

He looked around the dark hallway, and couldn't help but uncover the window in front of the staircase. Light flooded in, and he looked out. There was a beautiful view of the garden down below from this window, and the summer day looked promising outside. He walked through the hallway to the left, and after two quick turns around the staircase and then the elevator, he was on his way to Michael's second bedroom. Harold's second bedroom was on the other side of the house, but Victor had a feeling they wouldn't be in Harold's room. If Harold really did kidnap those little boys, they would be in Michael's room.

This house was one of the most beautiful places in the country. How could it be possible that people were murdered here? His footsteps didn't give an echo walking on the soft carpet, but his heart was pounding hard enough to make a sound. He was truly scared of what he was going to find. He was praying not to find anything. He was praying that the skinny agent was wrong, and that Harold wasn't the one who took those boys. He would have to work through the trauma of knowing his son did almost kill two federal agents, but he would have to find a way to work through that. He didn't think he would ever be able to talk to his son again if he tried to kill children. There is no excuse in the world for hurting children.

His phone buzzed in his pocket which caused him to leap. He wasn't expecting anyone to call him, and it scared the hell out of him to feel something moving against his leg. His heart was pounding even faster, but he managed to get the phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?" he told the phone.

"Where in the world are you? Your son's trial has already started, and you're not anywhere!"

"Hello honey," he said quietly. "I caught one of the servants stealing some of the dishes so I have to deal with this. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"It was Sky, wasn't it? I knew I shouldn't have hired that girl!"

"No, it wasn't her. I'll tell you about it when I get there," Victor lied.

"Well, hurry up! I just couldn't believe it when I saw one of those evil agents here instead of you. Your son needs here so get your butt here."

"I will," Victor said eager to end the call. "Bye."

He put the phone back in her pocket before she could argue anymore. If he found the twins, he would have a different story to tell her. As sad as it was to think about, that story might end in a divorce. No one in his family ever got divorced. Not once. He would be the first one, but he didn't think he would be able to live with her if she kept defending Harold. Parents are supposed to stand up for their children, but what happens when the children are wrong? When they are little, they get punished for misbehaving. It should be no different when those children grow up.

Victor took a few more steps, and then Michael's old bedroom came into view. It was the last room at the end of a long hallway. Victor crossed himself and walked ahead. God would be with him no matter whatever was in that room. He walked past the other doors, and tried faintly to remember what those rooms were even used for. He couldn't think of anything, but he was more concerned about what was in Michael's room. He didn't hear anything, and he decided not to call out. He was afraid. He was a chicken, and he wasn't afraid to admit it.

He put his hand on the doorknob and turned. It was locked, but he came prepared for it. He pulled the skeleton key to the house of his pocket, and unlocked the door. The room was dark inside which wasn't surprising, but a strong smell overcame him. It forced him back out of the room, but he wasn't going to leave. He put a handkerchief to his mouth and went back in. At first, he couldn't see anything. He saw an old dresser sitting near the door, and the window was covered up, and there was a bad by the far wall. That's when he spotted the two figures sitting on the bed. His heart dropped. The figures were small, not adults, and their arms were above their heads. Victor opened the door all the way, but he didn't rush to the boys first. He went in the room, and tore the covering off of the window. Light filled the room, and Victor could get a good look at the young boys being held on the bed.

They were completely identical. Their hair hung over the heads and their skin looked too white. Both of them didn't have any shoes or socks on, and their shirts were missing. Victor could see bloody marks on their backs, and the chains they were trapped in were cutting into their skin. One of the boys had soiled in his pants, but neither one of them looked conscious. Victor didn't know what to do. He froze. His brain was still trying to tell him that none of this was real, but it was. His eyes weren't lying to him. What was he going to do?

"Mr. Caldwell!" someone shouted. Victor thought the voice was in his mind at first, but it wouldn't stop. "Victor Caldwell! FBI!"

Victor made sure the boys didn't wake up before he left them. He went to the hallway, and looked down to see who was there. Two FBI agents were walking up the staircase. Victor faintly recognized them, but he knew they were friends with the kid in the hospital. The man was the one who spotted Victor, and they quickened their pace to reach him. They were probably thinking that he was going to run, but he wasn't going anywhere.

"There are boys up here," Victor choked out when they were close enough to here. "Two boys. They have chains on them. I can't get them out."

"Which room?" the man asked him.

Victor couldn't talk. His voice wasn't working, but he turned around and led to them to Michael's old room. He pointed them towards the bed, but he didn't go in himself. The agents held their guns out in front of them, but those didn't stay out long. Both of them ran over to the boys the second they were seen. The man backed up, and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket while the woman was running her slender fingers over the deadly chains.

"They are still alive," she said gently.

"We are going to need an ambulance at the Caldwell Manor," the man told the phone. "This is Agent Rossi. I have two kids here that are severely dehydrated, and it looks like they have been beaten. I need assistance now."

"I'm sorry," Victor whispered. "I am so sorry."

It didn't look like the agents heard him, but he really was. He still couldn't believe what was happening. How were they going to get the boys out of there in time? They were dying.

"Thanks," Rossi said hanging up the phone. He joined the woman next to the boys. "These are the same ones that were on Morgan and Reid. Not the exact chains, but the same kind."

"Who are you?" a quiet voice asked.

All three of them looked up, and saw one of the twins had his eyes open. It wasn't the one with the soiled pants, but he didn't look like he was in any better shape. He looked like a living skeleton, and it gave Victor the chills.

"Just keep still sweetie," the woman said pulling the hair out of his eyes. "We're here to help you."

"My throat hurts," he whispered.

Victor came in the room to watch the interaction, but the boy's eyes rolled back in his head. The woman was massaging the back of his neck to keep him conscious, and Rossi was back on the phone to direct the medics where to go. Victor just wanted to wake up. He wanted to pinch himself until he woke up back in his own bed. His wife was beautiful like she used to be, and he had two young sons to enjoy the day with. Everything was going to be perfect like it always was.

_so how did u guys like this chapter? any thoughts or guesses as to what will happen? it really is a debate about reid having a final confrontation with harold again. the team is pretty much against it and i think morgan will have a heart attack if he finds out, but i think it does need 2 happen. it will be like anti-climatic if it doesnt, but ive been getting arguments for both sides lol. plz review! xoxo_


	57. Chapter 57

_finally winding down my story. i love my story. this was the very first one that i wrote on my own on the site so it will always a special place n my heart. there r 2 chapters left: this one and chapter 58. so then its over. and its sad. and i might cry. but its ok. ill move on lol. this would have been updated on sunday like i planned but i ended up having 2 babysit until late and then on monday, i found out my sister was pregnant so that put a damper on things n my life but what can ya do? enjoy!_

Prentiss refused to leave the boys alone. Rossi had to direct the paramedics where to go, and even then, she didn't want to leave the room. She couldn't explain it, but they reminded her so much of Reid when they found him. She wasn't going to abandon them. It took quite a while to get all of the chains off of their frail bodies, and it was hard to look at the bloody marks once the chains were out of the way. The boys would bear those scars for the rest of their lives, if they did live. The paramedics went to work on the boy who never woke up first. They put the boy on the bed they brought up, and started hooking him up to all kinds of tubes and wires that Prentiss never saw before. They were talking quickly to each other, and taking the kid's pulse.

"Is he ok?" Prentiss asked when she found a spare moment.

They didn't answer her, and they gently picked up the other twin and put him in the second bed. She made sure that she stayed out of their way, but it was hard with so many people in one room. How could anyone do this to children? How? They should have been struggling through the woes of going through puberty, not fighting for their young lives.

"They are both badly dehydrated," one of the paramedics finally told her. He pulled her to the side to let the other men work while he talked to her.

"Are they going to live?" Prentiss asked.

"It's too soon to say, but it would have been easier if they had been found sooner. They've been beaten it looks like…lost a lot of blood. We're going to take them to the hospital that the agents are at if that's alright."

"That's fine," Prentiss said.

The boys were taken out of the room, and Prentiss followed them out in the hallway. Rossi was standing next to Mr. Caldwell, but none of them could believe that Reid was right. He knew where the children were. If Reid hadn't talked to them, the little boys would still be locked away. They would have died if Reid didn't help.

"I didn't think Harold would hurt kids like this," Rossi commented.

"I wouldn't put anything past that monster," Prentiss said with disgust.

She walked back into Michael's bedroom, and looked around. The stink was terrible. The bed they were trapped on was filthy, and Prentiss would be surprised if they weren't ill on top of their dehydration and beatings. Their bloody chains hung limply on the walls, and Prentiss had a vivid flashback of the room that they found Reid in. Her stomach rolled, and she had to get out of the room before she puked.

"I don't want you to go back to the hospital," Rossi told Mr. Caldwell just outside the room. "It's not good for him, and he's been through too much already."

"I know agent. I'm not going back. I just needed to see for myself."

"He isn't some sideshow attraction. I'd like it if you'd stop referring to him as one," Rossi said sharply.

The entire team was protective of Reid. He was the baby of the team, and all of them were determined to not let anything else bad happen to him. It would be a miracle if he got over this.

"Sorry," Mr. Caldwell mumbled. "I'll be going now. I expected to be at the courthouse for my son, but I won't be speaking on his behalf. I truly am sorry that all of this happened. I'd give anything to go back in time and change it, but I can't."

Rossi nodded, but didn't say anything else. They watched Mr. Caldwell walk to the staircase, and make his way down. He looked years older than when Prentiss first saw him. All of this was aging him, and it was hard to imagine what the man was going through. The life he knew was changing forever, and he couldn't stop it.

"Good luck to you agents," he called from the bottom of one of the staircases.

Prentiss waited until she was positive he was gone before she leaned against one of the walls. She felt a headache coming on, and the events of the last hour were finally taking on toll on her. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath in.

"Reid was right," Rossi said quietly.

* * *

The trial was going well, but Hotch hated the smug look that Harold wore across his face. He looked as though he were watching a soap opera that was repeating an overused plot line. His eyes didn't wander, but he looked confident. He thought he was smarter than anyone else in the room, and Hotch prayed that the jury noticed. None of the important witnesses would be coming to the trial until much later, but Reid wasn't going to be one of them. Susan agreed to tell her story to the jury, and Morgan was anxious to get there, but it would be too much for Reid. Hotch wasn't going to put him through that.

Hotch wasn't listening closely to what was happening when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He was sitting near the door so it was easy to leave without making a scene. He walked outside so nobody would overhear him, and he put the phone to his ear. It was hot outside, too hot to be standing out there for long, but it was a good escape from Harold's smiling face.

"Hotch."

"Hey, it's Rossi. How's it going over there?"

"Nothing really big yet, but Harold is in there looking happy. I don't think he knows how much trouble he's in. His mother is sitting in the front, but I don't see his father yet."

"His father just left here," Rossi said.

"What? The hospital? Are you still there?" Hotch asked. The last time Hotch saw Rossi was outside of the hospital, but that was a while ago.

"That's why I'm calling you. I was there, and I saw Reid, and he started asking about seeing Harold again. We were talking, and I found out that Mr. Caldwell was there and saw Reid."

"What?" Hotch nearly shouted. He wanted to hang up then and there and call the hospital. They had no right to let that man anywhere near his agents.

"Reid figured out where the missing twins were. I don't how, but he did and he told Harold's father. So I drove with Prentiss down to the manor, found Mr. Caldwell, and we found the twins. They're still alive."

"You found the twins?" Hotch couldn't believe it.

"They were locked in one of Michael's old rooms, just like Reid said they would be."

"What kind of shape were they in?" Hotch asked.

"Not the best shape. They both looked pretty sick, but they're going to the same hospital that Reid and Morgan are at. Mr. Caldwell has agreed not to see Reid anymore. We have five survivors then from Harold's abductions. I don't think the boys will be able to testify, but they were alive and that's all that matters."

Hotch couldn't figure out how Reid knew where they were. The police were sending teams of trained men and special dogs to find the twins, and Reid found them without even looking at a map. Hotch sat down in a shaded spot, and put a hand on his forehead. He was sweating.

"Reid wants to see Harold again," Rossi said after a quiet moment.

"No," Hotch said quickly.

"He was begging me the entire time I was there. I felt so sorry for him, and I kept telling him it wasn't a good idea, and then he kept arguing of why it was. I was talking to a really good doctor the other day, and she is actually flying over here to see him. She thinks she will be able to get him home sooner than Meyer thinks so. She's the best doctor I could find."

"Reid can't see Harold again. Do you remember those nightmares he keeps having? He still isn't eating regular food or even walking. He can't do this."

"He wants to tell Harold that he found the twins," Rossi said.

"We can tell him that Reid found them."

"I know it's a terrible idea, but you can tell Reid that. Not me. Morgan doesn't know yet, and Prentiss doesn't think Reid should see him either, but J.J. wasn't against it."

"We can talk to him together," Hotch said. "It will be better if all of us were there explaining to him why this isn't going to work. When will the doctor be here?"

"She will be here by tonight, and if she's right about Reid's condition, we could all be going home by tomorrow."

"Okay," Hotch said wiping the sweat off of his brow. "Good. Let's meet at the hospital in one hour."

"I'll see you then," Rossi said.

Hotch stood up, and looked back at the courthouse. He wasn't going back there now. The hospital wasn't far, but he wanted to get there first. He would tell Morgan what was going on. He had a right to know, and he would want to be there when they talked to Reid.

* * *

Morgan tried watching the media coverage of Harold's trial on the television, but he got disgusted whenever he saw Harold's face so he had to turn it off. He was friendly while the chubby nurse changed his bandages, but he was happy when she left. He got on his feet, and went to Reid's room. Reid was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at his feet when Morgan came in. What was happening to them? Reid looked like a scared little boy all over again, and it was tearing at Morgan's heart. Morgan pulled up a chair in front of him.

"What's going on pretty boy?" Morgan asked him gently.

"I was thinking about asking for more pain medication," Reid said without making eye contact.

"Pain medication you don't need?"

"Yes."

"Reid, don't do this again man," Morgan said. "Not again. You're stronger than that."

"I didn't though," Reid said. "I didn't ask. I almost did, but then Harold's dad came in."

Morgan stood up so quickly that the chair he was sitting on fell over. His heart was pounding, and if his hands weren't bandaged together, he would be forming fists. He looked around for any trace that the monster was there, but the room looked like the same as it always did.

"He didn't do anything. It was fine, and it actually got me thinking. Harold wouldn't have taken the boys where we were. It was a different situation, and I was trying to figure out where he might have put them. They were just kids, but they looked a lot like Harold and Michael did when they were kids. It makes sense that he would put them in a special room."

"Did you tell Hotch?"

"I told Mr. Caldwell," Reid said.

"Then we need to tell him," Morgan said.

He walked over to where Reid's phone was on the side table when he saw Hotch in the hallway. Morgan opened the door, and Hotch looked surprised to see him in Reid's room.

"Morgan? Is Reid alright?" Hotch asked.

"He's fine. He knows where the twins are!" Morgan exclaimed.

Hotch didn't pull out his cell to make any necessary phone calls. Instead, he came in the room with Morgan and shut the door behind him. It couldn't have been too late for the kids. He needed to be calling someone to find them.

"The twins have been found. They're both alive," Hotch announced.

Reid smiled, and Morgan sighed with relief. Harold's last victims were finally safe. They were safe, and all of this was going to end soon. Morgan picked his chair back up, and sat down.

"Rossi and Prentiss went with Mr. Caldwell, and the twins are at the hospital." Hotch pulled up a chair next to Morgan and sat down. "Rossi told me what you want to do Reid."

Morgan looked at Hotch, and then over at Reid. No one was telling him anything, and he was getting sick of it.

"Tell me what's going on," Morgan said.

"I want to see Harold," Reid said finally looking at him. "I know that you're here to talk me out of it, but I need it. I'm just starting to feel like myself again. I'm helping, and that's what I'm here to do. I want what kind of person Harold is. I know what he did to me, and what he wanted to do to me. That's why I should be the one to tell him that he's going to lose. He didn't break me. I know what I'm doing."

"He's been demanding to see you. This is exactly what he wants," Hotch said.

"Because he thinks I'm afraid. He thinks that I'm scared of him. I am because I can't forget what he did. I can't get him out my mind, but this will help. I know it will. I need to face my fears."

"This isn't the way to do it," Morgan said putting a hand on Reid's knee. Reid flinched, but he didn't try to get away. Reid still wasn't used to touch.

"It is. It will show me that he's just a man. He's evil, but he's human. I think my subconscious has been making him out to be worse than he really is."

"I don't think it'd be possible to make him any worse," Morgan argued. "I don't even want to see him again. He couldn't physically hurt you, but he could hurt you in other ways. I'm not going to let that happen. You've been through too much already."

"He can't hurt me if I don't let him. There isn't anything he could do to me, and if I take him by surprise, he can't fight. He can't prepare himself for something he doesn't know is coming."

"Reid," Morgan said slowly.

"I won't be alone. I only need a few minutes. Please."

Reid's big eyes were watery, and Morgan wanted to look away but couldn't. They had been through so much together. He put both of his hands on top of Reid's and bowed his head. He knew that Reid needed this. He needed some kind of conclusion before he would be able to fully recover. Watching Harold stumble around with words and see the confusion in his face would be satisfying for both them. Morgan just didn't want Reid to hurt anymore.

He felt the rest of his team come in just as he closed his hands around Reid's. He didn't look up, but he knew they were all there. Morgan wasn't going to cry, but he knew that he could if he tried. He wasn't going to tell any of them, but he was scared. What was going to happen to them? Morgan got on the bed next to Reid, and moved one of his arms over Reid's shoulder. If Reid had died, if Harold had succeeded in doing what he wanted, the team probably wouldn't be able to move on. It would have destroyed all of them. Morgan just wondered if Reid knew that.

* * *

Reid's heart was pounding. The doctor that Rossi had found, Doctor Walters, got there earlier than anticipated. While most of the team went to the courthouse, Walters and Meyer examined Reid over again. He hated people looking over him, and taking off his bandages to see how he was healing, but Walters determined that he was able to travel. That, along with the finding of the twins, made Reid happier than he had been in a long time. He would be going home. He would be going home and he would never have to see this place again. Hotch and J.J. stayed behind to help Reid get ready. After much debate, they finally agreed to let him see Harold one last time. Harold was not going to know about the visit, and Reid would only be allowed a few minutes. Hotch made several phone calls, and Reid would be going to the courthouse as a surprise witness. The doctors made it perfectly clear that Reid was only going to be making one statement, and that no questions could be asked because of his delicate condition. Meyer would be going along as well to answer any questions about what happened to Reid physically.

An ambulance drove all of them to the courthouse. No one was very talkative, and Reid noticed that J.J. looked as scared as he felt.

"Just tell me if you want to turn around," Hotch said. "We'll turn around if you want."

"I'm fine," Reid said. He wasn't fine, but if he didn't do this, he would regret it the rest of his life.

They took a secret way into the courtroom to avoid the reporters and photographers that were loitering outside. This was the first time that Reid saw any of them. He stared at them with interest, and tried to figure out where they came from. Was the case really that big? He couldn't remember the exact amount of people that Harold murdered, but it was a large number. Most cases never got as big to have this many reporters though. Reid wanted to ask J.J. or Hotch about it, but they looked lost in their own worlds. Hotch kept glancing at his watch, and J.J. didn't look like she was focusing on anything in particular. Reid took a deep breath.

They parked, and Walters helped Reid get into a pillowed wheelchair. Reid's rear end was still terribly sore, but he didn't say anything. He was ready for this. Walters gave control of the wheelchair to Hotch, and J.J. walked beside them.

"No one will be asking you any questions," Hotch said as they walked.

"I know," Reid said.

"And we're going to be right beside you the whole time," J.J. reminded him.

"If Harold does so much as stand up, we're out of there," Hotch said. "I don't want you arguing with him. Don't egg him on, and I wouldn't mention his brother. If he tries to threaten you, he will be removed from the courtroom."

"At least the jury would be able to see the kind of man he really is," J.J. said under her breath.

Hotch stopped the wheelchair just outside the door, and waited for permission to enter. Reid's heart was still pounding, but he wasn't going to back down. He wasn't going to be scared of Harold anymore.

The door opened, and a young man exited. He looked around, and saw Hotch standing next to Reid and J.J. The young man avoided staring at Reid, and Reid could understand. Staring at people who were in wheelchairs sometimes made people uncomfortable, but Reid didn't mind.

"Agent Hotchner? Are you ready?"

Hotch looked at Reid for confirmation, and Reid nodded. J.J. squeezed his bandaged up hand, and Hotch rolled him into the courtroom. A hush fell over the air. Reid didn't even hear anybody whispering which seemed unusual for trials with surprise witnesses. Reid looked around, but didn't make eye contact with anybody. J.J. was looking straight ahead, and Reid felt his stomach start to turn. He hadn't been eating that much since getting to the hospital, but he was suddenly feeling nauseous. He kept his mouth shut, but that didn't make him any less uneasy. Hotch guided him up to the witness stand, and locked the wheelchair in place. Reid took the vows that an officer standing nearby gave him, and that was when Hotch and J.J. finally stepped away.

Reid looked up, and saw Harold Caldwell for the first time since the rescue. Harold hadn't changed at all. He still looked well rested, and his hair looked freshly washed. He was wearing one of his suits and ties for the trial, and it sent chills down Reid's back. Harold looked shocked that Reid was there, but he didn't look away. Neither did Reid.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Special Agent Doctor Reid, and he is one of the members of my team at the BAU," Hotch said loudly. "He is one of the few who survived spending time at Harold Caldwell's manor. He spent seven days at the manor, and he almost didn't come out alive. He is not here to answer any questions, and he will not be spending time her with us today because he has to get back to the hospital. His doctor, Doctor Meyer, has come along with us and will be answering questions that the lawyers may have. He hasn't made any public appearances up to this point."

Reid felt all eyes on him, and he felt like a caged animal on display. He hated that feeling, but he focused all of his attention on Harold. Harold was the only reason that he was there. His heart was still pounding though, and he couldn't stop the images from what happened flashing through his mind. His rear end was burning again, and he couldn't help but flinch when Harold smiled at him. His body was reacting just from the sight of the monster in front of him.

"Doctor Reid has come with news for everyone in this courtroom," Hotch continued.

"Yes," Reid said clearing his throat. He was trembling, and it was impossible to steady his voice. He was scared. "A few months ago, twin brothers went missing. A connection wasn't made between their disappearance and what Harold was doing until he tried bargaining. He would reveal where the twins were if he was allowed to see me again. He saw nothing wrong with killing them if he couldn't see me…"

The shaking was slowly getting worse. Harold was still smiling, and Reid's breathing sped up. He kept telling himself that Harold couldn't hurt him. Harold was in chains, and there were police at every corner, but Reid couldn't stop his feelings.

"I can't talk…I can't talk about what that man did to me. I can't describe what he put me through or what others suffered at his hands. I can't…" It was getting harder to talk. A tear fell out of own of his eyes.

J.J. got up on the stand, but Reid wasn't going to stop talking. He was here, and he was going to do what he came to do. Harold wasn't going to win.

"Someone talked to me earlier today," Reid said. His voice was trembling, and he kept licking his lips out of nerves alone. "It got me thinking, and then it just dawned on me where the twins were. I got it narrowed down to which rooms…The twins were just found. They are still alive, and both of them are safe now."

Harold's face stopped smiling. His jaw dropped open, and he looked at the lawyer to his side. Reid couldn't bring himself to smile at Harold's confusion. He wanted to get out of there.

"You didn't!" Harold shouted. He stood up to the surprise of the men sharing the table with him, and scooted back in his chair. "Lying is a terribly filthy thing for you to do young man!"

Officers were running to control Harold, and Hotch jumped on the stand to get to Reid. J.J. was covering Reid from Harold's view, but Harold was screaming out threats like they were back in that house. Hotch wheeled Reid out of the courtroom just as Harold was being escorted out. Hotch didn't stop until they were back in the ambulance with the door shut behind them. None of them wanted to risk Harold see them drive off.

Once inside, Reid didn't even try to stop the tears from coming. They flooded over his face, and J.J. brought him tightly to her body in a hug. He wanted to stop crying, but his body wouldn't let him. He was still shaking, and sharp pains shot through his back. He was safe. He had to keep telling himself that he was safe. No matter what happened, he would never see Harold again.

"Spence, it's okay Spence. Just breathe," J.J. said.

Reid tried taking deep breaths, but it wasn't calming his nerves. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Hotch was waving the paramedics away. Reid was grateful for that.

"Just get us back to the hospital," Hotch said. "Don't touch him right now."

"It's over Spence," J.J. said. "It's okay. It's over, and we're going to go home soon."

Reid felt the ambulance start up, and his breathing was getting back to normal. He let his head rest on J.J.'s shoulder, and she put her one of her hands on his head. She smoothed his hair out, and kept telling him that everything was going to be alright. Hotch sat down next to them, and put a hand on one of Reid's shoulders. He squeezed the shoulder, and Reid sat back up. His friends looked just as worried as he felt.

"How are you feeling?" Hotch asked.

"I'm…better," Reid said. He still felt like crying, but he held them back.

"You ready to go home today?" Hotch asked.

"I'm ready now," Reid answered. He smiled at them, and J.J. hugged him again. The sun outside was shining, and Reid wrapped his arms around J.J. It was over, and he was going to go home.

_hope u guys liked this! let me know ur thoughts! xoxoxo_


	58. Chapter 58

_very last chapter for Secrets of the Manor. saddest thing ever. im still working on the old south but this is it for secrets. this is it but the ending is super cool if i say so myself. or u guys might hate me. we'll see. =)_

Reid woke up, and stretched his arms over his head. It had been 6 months since Reid last saw Harold, and while he still suffered from nightmares, it wasn't as bad it once was. A few of his wounds still had bandages covering them, but he could move on his own. Morgan refused to leave him alone for the first few weeks of being back in his home, but he was finally alone. He didn't like being babied, and he knew that was going to happen, but he knew his team meant well. All Reid wanted to go back to work again.

Reid chose not to keep the case. That's all that was on television for months. Reid didn't see Harold anymore. He knew what was going on because it was impossible not to hear what the witnesses were saying or how Harold went off on some Shakespearean monologue when it came time for him to speak for himself. Jurors told the media afterwards that Reid making the appearance, not matter how brief, really spoke to them. They got to see firsthand of what kind of man Harold was. They saw how he was still threatening Reid, and how Reid was physically reacting just being near him. Harold was convicted on all counts, and was given life in prison.

Harold's parents never got divorced like J.J. was predicting. They continued to live together, and the crazy mother kept making appearances telling anyone who would listen that her son was innocent. It didn't matter to her that his innocence wasn't possible, but most people let her believe what she wanted. She became the subject of laughs for late night talk show hosts and magazines alike. Reid didn't read them. She deserved to be laughed at, but Reid wasn't interesting in seeing her.

Garcia kept the little dog that was rescued from Harold's manor. Reid didn't mind. He loved animals, and would never hurt any animal unless it was hurting him. Reid adored dogs, but he didn't plan on visiting Timothy any time soon. He knew that the dog never did anything to him, but it reminded him too much of Harold. Garcia never mentioned the dog whenever she visited him which was every day. She brought him gifts, and he had enough stuffed animals to fill a museum up. She named every single one of them, and never forgot their names. It made Reid smile. She told him that they were never let him be alone again.

Morgan was the one who eventually told Reid about Jude and his gang. Reid wasn't shocked. It wasn't uncommon for criminals like Harold to get a following. It was a lot like the Mason Family, and others considered Jim Jones did or David Koresh examples of leaders who gathered a cult-like following. The kids that were caught that day were all arrested, and most of them had to spend time behind bars. The young girl who ended up helping the team more than she knew, Nikki, was spared jail time but was given length probation.

Susan kept in contact with Morgan and Rossi. She gave excellent testimony at the trial, but she son never had to talk. She wouldn't allow him up there. He kept asking about what happened to Harold, and she was having a hard time explaining it to the child. Rossi ended up having to sit down with the little boy, and he told him something that would stop the constant questions but not cause nightmares. Morgan became close friends with Susan, but nothing romantic ever came of it. The one thing that brought them together was the one thing that they never wanted to talk about. Reid talked to her every now and then. She called to see how he was doing, but they never became close.

Both of the twins survived their ordeal. They didn't have to spend much time in the hospital, and they were able to go home with their parents and sister only a few weeks after they were rescued. Their parents kept them hidden from the nosy reporters, but when they were well enough, they started giving interviews on what happened on their own. They always appeared together, and they even visited Reid a few times. They knew that he was the reason they were still alive. They vowed never to forget that. Reid felt honored to have helped them.

Reid laughed out loud when he found out that Anne's son that Hotch was Batman. The more he thought about it, the more he had to agree with the little boy. She went on with her life, and stayed out of the media. People wanted to talk to her though. Reid heard that she was offered book deals and even movies, but Anne wouldn't take any of it. There would be a movie about her one day. She was the sister of a man who aided a serial killer. It wasn't something that people read about every day. Anne admired her for keeping true to herself. She wanted her children to be raised in a normal household away from the spotlight. She lived comfortably off of the money Markus left her in his will, but she fell out of contact with the agents.

It was cold outside, and Reid buttoned up a sweater over his button shirt. The clouds outside looked dark, but it was going to be beautiful day. He was going back to work. He was going back to his desk, and he was going to sit once again at the round table. Hotch didn't want him to go back just yet, but Reid was ready. It was an easier case. It wasn't dangerous, and Reid would have to stay at the station if they had to travel, but Reid wanted this. It would get his mind off of Harold. That man was constantly on his mind when he had to stay at home. Reid was ready to feel useful again. Reid almost cut off his long hair during his time recuperating at home, but he decided not to. It reminded him of what happened to Elle so long ago, and what she had to go through after her encounter with a psychopath. His scars weren't going to disappear, and so neither did his hair.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was looking like his old self again which made him smile. Hotch was making him visit a psychiatrist twice a week, and he was proud to admit that he didn't even think about touching the drugs that one changed his life. He didn't need them. He put his cell phone in his jacket, and grabbed his bag that was lying on the table. He was feeling okay, and was ready to get back to his normal life. He was ready.

* * *

Harold hated life being bars. He absolutely despised it, and wanted to murder every last person who put him there. He was going to make them pay. One way or the other, they were all going to pay. He was glad that he made Reid cringe in his seat that day at trial. The boy deserved that and more. Harold thought about that moment every single day since it happened. Reid's wide eyes in his memory always turned him on, but he was only able to see the boy in his dreams. Harold touched himself every night, and kept pretending that it was Reid who finally came to visit him, but Reid never came. The only visitor he ever got was his mother, and he was sick of her.

"What's the weather like?" Harold asked his guard.

His guard, a 27 year old man named John, was with him every night. The young man was a newlywed, and was a graduate of the local university. Working for the prison was easy work, but he was really studying to become a doctor. His father was a doctor, his grandfather was a doctor, and so his great grandfather. He had to keep the tradition going. He was a nice man, but he wasn't as beautiful as Reid was. He had blonde hair and freckles that made him look younger than he was, but freckles were never a turn on for Harold. He was also not fond of blondes.

"Freezing. It's going be a cold night," John said.

"It's not far from Christmas. Am I right?" Harold asked.

"Just a few weeks off. Grace is excited. This will be our first Christmas together."

"What does she look like again?"

"Oh, she's beautiful! Looks just like the actress, Grace Kelly. Have you heard of her?"

"She was always one of my favorites," Harold said smiling.

"She has the same blonde hair and perfect skin. I can't believe I'm married to her. I'm such a lucky man. Did I tell you that she wants to model? She's going to try out for Vogue and stuff. She's having her first photo shoot in January, and we're all excited. She's going to make it. I'm sure of it."

Harold knew that the likelihood of her becoming a professional model were unlikely, but he wasn't going to tell John. What was Reid doing right now? He would be a beautiful model. He had a perfect body with long legs and silky hair. Harold licked his lips, and crossed his legs to hide his growing erection.

"I would love a copy," Harold said.

"I'm going to give everyone I know a copy!" John said laughing.

"Would it be possible for me to step outside for a moment? I just want to see the moon. I haven't seen it in such a long time, and I read that there's a full moon tonight."

"Oh Harold, you know you're not supposed to," John moaned.

"But I'm going to be with you. What could I possibly do with you around?" Harold begged.

John looked down the hallway, and whistled. An African man named Ted came jogging down. He looked in the cell to see if Harold was in there, and then back at John.

"What's up?" Ted asked.

"Come with me," John said. "We're taking him out for a minute."

"We're not supposed to. You know that. We could lose our jobs, and I don't want to go job hunting again. The economy sucks."

"Just a minute couldn't hurt. Besides, there's two of us and we have guns."

Ted sighed, but unlocked Harold's cell. Harold smiled, and gloried in that first moment of him stepping out of the bars. He walked in between the two guards, and kept quiet as they opened the back doors. The first thing he saw were walls that seemed to go up to the sky, but that didn't worry him. It was cold outside, but he didn't shiver or complain. He followed both of them out to the center of the yard so he could see the moon. It was a full moon that night, and while it was harder to see it because of the cloud cover, it shone with a god-like power. Harold smiled, and ran his tongue over his top lip.

"Gentlemen, what are your opinions on cannibalism?"

Harold walked in front of them with a growing grin on his mouth. His black hair gleamed in the moonlight, and he was feeling more alive than he had in months. Reid was still alive. The beautiful agent was out there, and he was waiting for him. Harold wouldn't let him down.

_hope u guys enjoyed it. i really loved all the time we spent together and i made lots of new friends through this story. let me know how u liked the ending. i LOVE LOVE LOVE reviews. all of them make me smile. until next time! xoxo_


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